US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of the United States withdrawing from the World Health Organization.
The newly inaugurated US President said when he approved the document after returning to the White House: “Oh, this is big.” It was one of dozens of executive actions he signed on his first day in office.
This is the second time that Trump has ordered the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization.
Trump criticized the way the international body handled Covid-19 and began the process of withdrawing from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic. President Joe Biden later reversed this decision.
Implementing this executive action on day one increases the likelihood that the United States will formally leave the global agency.
“They wanted us back so bad, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the World Health Organization, perhaps a sign that the United States might eventually return.
The order said the United States was withdrawing “due to the organization's mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from inappropriate actions.” Political influence of WHO member states.
The executive order also said the withdrawal was the result of “unfairly exorbitant payments” made by the United States to the World Health Organization, which is part of the United Nations.
When Trump was still in office the first time, he criticized the organization for being too “China-centric” in its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump accused the WHO of bias toward China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.
Under the Biden administration, the United States remained the WHO's largest funder, and in 2023 contributed nearly a fifth of the agency's budget.
The organization's annual budget is $6.8 billion (£5.5 billion).
Funding could disappear almost immediately, and it is unclear whether other countries will step up to fill the gap.
A US withdrawal could have an impact on the WHO's ability to respond to emergencies such as the Ebola outbreak, or MPOX – let alone another Covid-19-style pandemic.
Public health experts noted that there could be further consequences for Americans' health if progress in combating infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS declines.
Ashish Jha, who previously served as Covid-19 response coordinator under President Biden, previously warned that the departure would “harm not only the health of people around the world but also American leadership and scientific prowess.”
“It is a disastrous presidential decision,” said Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and professor at Georgetown University. “Withdrawal is a painful wound for global health, but it is a deeper wound for the United States.”
There are also fears that America's withdrawal may ultimately open the door to greater Chinese influence over the global body, not less.
The positives of this move are few, but some argue that it could lead to further reforms in how the WHO operates, meaning it better serves the public health needs of people around the world.
If that happens, it may be enough to tempt the United States back into the fold. However, the tone of the language coming out of Washington suggests that President Trump's second attempt to withdraw the United States from the international health body will not be reconsidered.
