The United States will officially leave the World Health Organization (WHO), President Donald Trump announced on Monday.
He criticized the global health agency for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health emergencies, claiming the organization was influenced by political agendas and failed to act independently.
Trump accused the WHO of being swayed by the “inappropriate political influence” of its member states and said the U.S. was unfairly burdened with excessive financial contributions compared to other major countries like China.
“The World Health Organization took advantage of us. Everyone takes advantage of the United States, but that ends now,” Trump declared during the signing of an executive order to begin the withdrawal process shortly after starting his second term in office.
The decision to leave means the U.S. will cut ties with the WHO over the next 12 months and halt all funding to the organization.
The United States, which contributes about 18% of the WHO’s total funding, is its largest financial supporter.
The WHO’s latest two-year budget for 2024-2025 amounts to $6.8 billion, and the U.S. departure could significantly impact its programs.
Health experts both within and outside the WHO have expressed concern that the U.S. withdrawal will jeopardize key initiatives, particularly those aimed at combating tuberculosis, which is the leading infectious disease killer globally, as well as efforts to address HIV/AIDS and other health emergencies.
Trump’s executive order also outlines several related steps. Negotiations on the WHO’s pandemic treaty will be suspended while the withdrawal is ongoing, U.S. personnel collaborating with the WHO will be recalled and reassigned, and the administration will seek alternative partners to manage essential health initiatives currently overseen by the WHO.
Additionally, the U.S. government will review and update its Global Health Security Strategy, with a new version to be introduced as soon as possible.
Other major donors to the WHO include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which primarily funds polio eradication efforts, the global vaccine alliance Gavi, the European Commission, and the World Bank. Germany, the second-largest national donor, contributes about 3% of the WHO’s overall funding.
This move marks a continuation of Trump’s earlier attempts to withdraw from the WHO during his first term in 2020. At that time, he accused the organization of helping China cover up the origins of COVID-19 and misinforming the global community.
The WHO has strongly denied these accusations and maintains that it continues to urge China to provide data to determine whether COVID-19 originated from animal contact or a possible laboratory incident.
In 2020-2021, Trump suspended U.S. funding to the WHO, resulting in a loss of nearly $200 million during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most severe health crises in modern history.
Under U.S. law, withdrawing from the WHO requires a one-year notice period and the payment of any outstanding financial obligations.
Trump’s first attempt to leave the organization was halted in January 2021 when Joe Biden took office and reversed the decision on his first day as president.
However, Trump’s renewed order indicates a firm commitment to severing ties with the WHO this time around.
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