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The United States has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), cutting ties with the UN health agency and leaving it without one of its largest financial contributors.
The decision follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump a year ago, in which he accused the WHO of being overly “China-centric” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Department of Health and Human Services said the withdrawal was based on what it described as the WHO’s mishandling of the pandemic, its inability to implement reforms, and political interference by member states.
The WHO has rejected these accusations, with its Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, describing the US exit as a loss not only for America but for the global community. The organization highlighted its role in fighting polio, HIV/AIDS, reducing maternal deaths, and promoting global tobacco control.
The US has traditionally been one of the WHO’s biggest donors, but it failed to pay its contributions for 2024 and 2025, leading to major job losses at the organization. Although WHO lawyers say the US still owes about $260 million in arrears, Washington has said it does not intend to pay.
US authorities have confirmed that all government funding to the WHO has been terminated, American staff and contractors have been recalled from Geneva and other offices worldwide, and hundreds of US engagements with the organization have been suspended or ended.
In a joint statement, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the WHO of abandoning its mission and acting against US interests. They said future US engagement with the organization would be limited strictly to managing the withdrawal and protecting American public health.
The US said it plans to pursue bilateral partnerships with other countries, as well as work with NGOs and faith-based groups, to continue disease surveillance and global health programs, though it did not provide details.
The WHO said the US withdrawal will be discussed at its executive board meeting from February 2 to 7, and that it will act according to guidance from its governing bodies. The organization also reiterated that cooperation between the US and WHO in the past had saved countless lives and protected global health.
The COVID-19 pandemic response in the US has been widely criticised by experts as slow and poorly coordinated. Studies and public health officials have argued that delays in action and inconsistent policies contributed to high infection and death rates, with some blaming political divisions and weak federal leadership for the country’s troubled response.
Source: joynews
