Foreign
United States Withdraws from World Health Organization.
President Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and undue political influence. The order, issued shortly after his inauguration, alleges the WHO failed to act independently and imposed disproportionate financial burdens on the U.S. compared to other nations.
This move, effective in 12 months, will halt all U.S. financial contributions to the WHO. Experts warn the departure will jeopardize numerous WHO programs.
The executive order also suspends negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty, recalls U.S. personnel working with the organization, and directs the government to seek alternative partners to assume essential WHO activities. This action echoes Trump’s earlier attempts to withdraw from the WHO in 2020, based on accusations of aiding China’s alleged misinformation campaign surrounding the origins of COVID-19, allegations the WHO has vigorously denied. The organization maintains its efforts to investigate the virus’s origin with transparency and data sharing.