The American Medical Association said Tuesday it would be a "dangerous step" for the U.S. to halt funding to the World Health Organization during the worst pandemic in recent history.

President Donald Trump recently announced that the U.S. would freeze funding to WHO pending an investigation in its alleged role in "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," NPR reported. Critics of the president said he is trying to deflect blame for his own role in the crisis, noting he spent much of the early part of the year downplaying the threat the virus posed.

The U.S. is the single largest contributor to WHO, providing hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

In a statement, AMA President Patrice Harris blasted the decision, calling it a "a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier."

"Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data," Harris said. "Cutting funding to the WHO—rather than focusing on solutions—is a dangerous move at a precarious moment for the world. The AMA is deeply concerned by this decision and its wide-ranging ramifications, and we strongly urge the President to reconsider."

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