Newsbreak: Trump withdraws US from WHO, citing unfair deal
By Samuel Ogunsona
Newly sworn in US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and unfairly deal
According to a statement posted on the White House website and obtained by Irohinoodua, “The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’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”
The statement further notes that “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 executive order aims to “pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO” and to “identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO”
This marks the second time Trump has sought to sever ties with the WHO.
The administration also announced plans to review and rescind Biden’s 2024 US Global Health Security Strategy, which was designed to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats
The withdrawal of the United States is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could further disrupt global health initiatives.
The US is the largest donor to the Geneva-based organization, providing substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO’s operations
