WHO ‘Regrets’ Trump’s Decision To Withdraw From Global Health Body

New Delhi, India: World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhano Ghebreyesus “regrets” US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the global agency.

In an X post, the WHO chief said,"The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization. WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go."

“The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board. For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats,” the WHO chief posted.

“Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO. With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues,” he added.

“We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe,” Ghebreyesus said.

Trump Withdraws US from WHO 

The United States will withdraw from the World Health Organisation, President Donald Trump announced on Monday, saying that the global health body botched the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health disasters. 

Trump also said the WHO had failed to act independently of the "inappropriate political influence of WHO member states" and demanded "unfairly onerous payments" from the United States that were disproportionate to the sums supplied by other, larger countries, including China. 

"World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It's not going to happen anymore," Trump said at the signing.

The action implies that the United States will exit the United Nations' health organisation in 12 months and will no longer contribute financially to its activities. The United States is by far the WHO's largest financial donor, accounting for approximately 18% of its total funding. The WHO's most current two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion.

Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO is not unexpected. He took steps to quit the body in 2020, during his first term as president, accusing the WHO of aiding China's efforts to "mislead the world" about the origins of COVID.

WHO, however, denies the allegation and says it continues to press Beijing to share data to determine whether COVID emerged from human contact with infected animals or due to research into similar viruses in a domestic laboratory.