On Monday January 20, Donald Trump took oath as the 47th President of United States. The World Health Organization has expressed disappointment over the US’s decision to withdraw from the global health body. The WHO highlighted their importance in protecting the health of people globally, including people living in United States.

The statement from WHO came after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, announcing the withdrawal of the US from WHO. According to the order, the withdrawal was due to the organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises.

The statement shared by WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on X reads: “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 global health agency noted that the US was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has been involved in shaping and governing the organization’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board. In the statement, WHO said, “For over seven decades, WHO and the US have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats. 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.” WHO further stated that, with the participation of the US and other states, it has implemented the largest set of reforms in its history over the past seven years to transform its accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries.

The organisation added, “This work continues.” WHO concluded the statement by saying, “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.”

The order signed by Trump withdrawing US from WHO reads, “The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020 due to the organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”

Additionally, Trump stated that the WHO continues to demand payments from the US that are disproportionate to those required from other countries, criticising the financial demands, stating that the payments required of the US are significantly higher than those of other nations. “In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO,” the order further read.

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