Gabrielle Emanuel

With the U.S. withdrawing from the World Health Organization and rethinking foreign aid, China has an opportunity to play a bigger role — with different goals.

That's the way one scientist puts it — referring to how infected wild birds survive long enough to spread it to birds and mammals around the world. And that's a serious risk for human health.

Researchers are reporting mass die offs of wild birds and sea mammals due to bird flu. They're tracking the deaths to better understand the virus and how it might create a greater threat to humans.

Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been told to halt all communication with the World Health Organization.

On Monday, top officials at U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were put on leave for allegedly not abiding by President Trump's executive order to freeze much of U.S. foreign aid.

Critics of Trump's order to pull out of the WHO say it makes room for China to grow in its influence. But Trump says he's leaving the WHO partly because of China's influence. Policy analysts weigh in.

In a memo obtained by NPR, acting Health Secretary Dorothy Fink forbade staff from public communications on most matters until Feb. 1, unless they get express approval from "a presidential appointee."

The newly inaugurated president announced his intention to terminate U.S. membership in the U.N.'s global health agency.

Four key decisions await Trump: reinstating the Mexico City Policy; withdrawing from WHO, abandoning the Pandemic Prevention Treaty and de-authorizing PEPFAR, the HIV prevention program.

When Donald Trump returns to the White House, he's expected to issue a series of orders with far-reaching impact on global health — from abortion services to support for the World Health Organization.