Former U.S. health officials warn against cutting funding for Pan American Health Organization

A group of former U.S. health and national security officials has urged the Trump administration not to withdraw funding from the Pan American Health Organization, saying the move would leave Americans more exposed to infectious disease threats. The warning comes as the administration weighs a plan to stop supporting the regional public health agency.

According to the former officials, the organization helps countries in the Americas detect outbreaks, share information and coordinate responses before illnesses spread more widely. They argued that losing U.S. backing would make it harder to track and contain cross-border health risks.

The appeal adds to broader concern among public health experts about changes in U.S. vaccine and disease guidance under the Trump administration. Some pediatricians and health officials have already begun steering patients to other sources for vaccine advice, including their own professional websites.

The Pan American Health Organization works with governments across the Western Hemisphere on disease surveillance, immunization and emergency response, making it a long-running part of regional health coordination.