The United States government has taken a major step by suspending funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. This decision came after a thorough review that revealed the institute’s failure to comply with federal regulations and its lack of responsibility in handling its research.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted the review and, based on its findings, also proposed to prohibit the Wuhan Institute from engaging in any future business with the US government. Notably, the institute has not received any federal funding from the US National Institutes of Health since July 2020, according to an HHS spokesperson.
The suspension of funding was prompted by the Wuhan Institute’s failure to provide requested documents to the National Institutes of Health. This raised concerns about safety protocols at the laboratory. The HHS spokesperson stated that the action was taken because the institute did not provide documentation about its research, which was requested by the NIH, and this raised worries about possible violations of NIH biosafety protocols.
The HHS Assistant Under Secretary for Procurement, in the memorandum, concluded that the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s disregard for NIH requests and the NIH’s suspicions of potential violations of biosafety protocols pose a risk to public health. Hence, the decision was made to immediately suspend the institute’s funding to mitigate any potential dangers.
This year, the Biden Government authorized an investigation into possible links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology, known for its research on coronaviruses, and the Covid-19 pandemic’s origins. Wuhan was identified as the initial epicenter of the pandemic in 2019. However, the virus’s exact origin remains a topic of debate, and the US intelligence community has not reached a conclusive verdict.
China has faced criticism for limiting access to international scientists to explore various hypotheses regarding the virus’s emergence within its borders. Chinese authorities have maintained that the virus did not originate in their country. The US Department of Health and Human Services formally notified the institute of the suspension of funding, with the possibility of a permanent cut, as stated in the memo obtained by Bloomberg News. The HHS review, which began in September, raised concerns about the Wuhan-based facility’s compliance with biosecurity protocols and US regulations.
This suspension of funding is the most significant action taken by the US in response to the Wuhan Institute’s failure to cooperate fully in ongoing investigations into the origins of Covid-19. It occurs at a time when both the US and China are striving to improve relations amidst the economic aftermath of the pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives worldwide. As a result of this decision, the once highly-regarded global research institute will no longer receive federal funding from the US. The Wuhan Institute of Virology had previously received over $1.4 million in federal funds, including sub-grants from the National Institutes of Health, but has not received any new funds since July 2020.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been at the center of discussions and speculations regarding the origins of the pandemic, with some, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, raising suspicions about its possible involvement in the virus’s initial outbreak.
