President Trump announces the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, citing mismanagement of global health crises and disproportionate financial contributions.
The United States will withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), President Donald Trump announced on Monday. He accused the global health body of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump criticized the WHO for failing to operate independently from "the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states" and for imposing "unfairly onerous payments" on the U.S., which he claimed were disproportionate compared to contributions from other major nations, including China.
"World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It's not going to happen anymore," Trump stated during the signing of an executive order initiating the withdrawal, which took place shortly after the start of his second term.
In response, the WHO expressed regret over the decision by its largest donor. "We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope that there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world," said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarević during a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
The withdrawal triggers a 12-month notice period during which the U.S. will cease financial contributions to the organization. The U.S., which provides approximately 18% of WHO's funding, has been its largest financial backer. WHO’s latest two-year budget for 2024-2025 amounts to $6.8 billion.
Experts both within and outside the WHO warn that the U.S. departure could jeopardize programs addressing major health challenges, including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other emergencies.
The executive order also halts U.S. participation in negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty during the withdrawal process. U.S. personnel working with the WHO will be reassigned, and the administration will seek new partners to assume responsibilities previously handled by the organization. Additionally, the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy will be reviewed, rescinded, and replaced "as soon as practicable," according to the order.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the second-largest contributor to the WHO, primarily focuses its funding on polio eradication. The foundation’s CEO, Mark Suzman, stated on X that they will continue advocating for a stronger, not weaker, WHO. Germany, the next-largest state donor, contributes about 3% of the organization’s funding. Germany’s health minister expressed hope that Berlin could dissuade Trump from following through with the withdrawal.
When asked about Trump’s decision, China’s foreign ministry reiterated its support for the WHO, emphasizing that its role in global health governance should be strengthened rather than diminished. "China will continue to support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities, and deepen international public health cooperation," ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated.
This development is not unprecedented. Trump previously moved to withdraw from the WHO in 2020 during his first term, accusing the organization of aiding China in "misleading the world" about the origins of COVID.
The WHO denies the allegation and continues to push Beijing for data to determine whether COVID originated from human contact with infected animals or from research on similar viruses in a local laboratory.
U.S. law mandates a one-year notice period and payment of any outstanding fees before a withdrawal is finalized. Trump’s previous attempt to leave the WHO was halted when Joe Biden, upon assuming office in January 2021, reversed the decision on his first day.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shippin...
At least four people have been killed in a major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory, including the Moscow region, which authorities say fa...
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus ...
The World Urban Forum (WUF) opens this week in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing together governments, city leaders, urban planners, researchers and ...
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, mark...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
A Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members as a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols, according to officials, as medics around the world work to stop the spread of the outbreak.
Biological samples from an Italian man were transferred to a specialist hospital for testing on Tuesday, after he was suspected of contracting hantavirus. Meanwhile, World Health Organization boss Tedros Ghebreyesus said there were “no sign” of a larger outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise.
The public health challenge linked to the emergence of a rare strain of hantavirus is complex, according to pharmacist and health commentator Thorrun Govind. She told AnewZ's Daybreak the situation was complicated by the number of nationalities involved and the need to safely return the passengers.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
The risk from hantavirus to the general public remains very low, and the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more than 100 staff members actively working on the outbreak, a governmental health official said on Wednesday.
A Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members as a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols, according to officials, as medics around the world work to stop the spread of the outbreak.
The European Union is preparing sweeping new regulations targeting the addictive design features of major social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta and X, amid mounting evidence linking their use to serious mental health harm among children and teenagers.
Biological samples from an Italian man were transferred to a specialist hospital for testing on Tuesday, after he was suspected of contracting hantavirus. Meanwhile, World Health Organization boss Tedros Ghebreyesus said there were “no sign” of a larger outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise.
The public health challenge linked to the emergence of a rare strain of hantavirus is complex, according to pharmacist and health commentator Thorrun Govind. She told AnewZ's Daybreak the situation was complicated by the number of nationalities involved and the need to safely return the passengers.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment