WHO regrets U.S. withdrawal and hopes Washington will return

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it regrets the United States’ decision to withdraw from the UN health agency and hopes Washington will resume active participation in the future.

The U.S. formally left the organisation on Thursday, after a year of warnings from the WHO that such a move would harm public health in the United States and globally.

President Donald Trump’s administration has long criticised the organisation, particularly over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump accused the WHO of failing to act independently, alleging it had been influenced by the political interests of some member states.

He also argued that the United States was subject to unfairly heavy financial obligations, saying American contributions were disproportionate compared with those of other, more populous countries, including China.

The WHO has rejected the criticism, defending its actions during what it described as an unprecedented global health crisis.

The organisation said monitoring systems, emergency response frameworks and international coordination mechanisms developed before, during and after the acute phase of the pandemic continue to operate around the clock.

It said these efforts have played a crucial role in protecting all countries, including the United States, and remain essential to global health security.

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