HHS Prohibits EcoHealth and Peter Daszak from Federal Funding for Five Years

January 18, 2025 TruthUSA

An investigation by Congress uncovered that EcoHealth Alliance and Daszak were involved in gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, without adequate oversight.

In response to the findings, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has officially prohibited the pandemic research nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance and its former president, Peter Daszak, from accessing federal funding for five years.

On January 17, the House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic announced this decision, along with providing a letter from HHS to EcoHealth Alliance, as well as a separate letter addressed to Daszak.

“After reviewing the details in the administrative record for this matter, including responses presented, I have concluded that a debarment period for Dr. Daszak is crucial to safeguard the Federal Government’s business interests,” stated an official from HHS, whose name was redacted, in one of the letters. The other letter contained a nearly identical rationale.

The subcommittee reported that its examination revealed that EcoHealth Alliance and Daszak were involved in gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, while failing to provide appropriate oversight, thus breaching multiple stipulations of their multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.

Gain-of-function research entails modifying viruses in controlled lab settings to enhance their virulence, allowing scientists to study them more effectively. This practice is highly contentious as it may result in more lethal viruses that could pose significant threats to humanity if they escape, as some—including U.S. intelligence agencies—contend was the case with the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a report released in May 2024, which detailed the investigation’s findings, the subcommittee recommended debarment and a criminal probe into EcoHealth Alliance and Daszak. Following this, HHS halted funding for EcoHealth and initiated debarment procedures, leading to the announcement of the ban on January 17, marking a significant step in the investigation.

“Today marks a victory for the American populace,” stated Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) in a January 17 announcement. “EcoHealth Alliance and its former President, Dr. Peter Daszak, were officially debarred by HHS for misusing taxpayer resources to support perilous gain-of-function investigations in China. This resolution not only serves the interests of the U.S. taxpayer but is also a win for national security and the well-being of citizens globally.”

EcoHealth Alliance did not provide an immediate response regarding the decision. However, in several statements posted on its website, the organization denied that its funding contributed to gain-of-function projects and asserted that it believes the COVID-19 virus originated in nature rather than from a laboratory.

“EcoHealth Alliance’s bat coronavirus studies and those conducted with the Wuhan Institute of Virology did not initiate the pandemic,” the organization reported in a June 2024 statement.

In a subsequent response to the subcommittee’s concluding report, EcoHealth expressed its “deep disappointment” regarding the allegations made against the organization and deemed the investigation as politically charged.

“Deliberate misinformation and fearmongering surrounding crucial scientific research, extending beyond detrimental impacts on EcoHealth Alliance to unjustified attacks on reputable scientific and public health institutions nationwide, will do little to predict, prepare for, or avert future pandemics,” the group asserted.

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