Agadir – The United States has officially announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), marking the first time the country has not been a member since it joined as a founding member in 1948.
According to Washington, this move responds to the “failures of the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic” and is intended to “repair the harm that these failures have inflicted on the American people.”
In a joint statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized that the United States would now be free from the “constraints” of the WHO, fulfilling what they described as a promise made by President Trump on the first day of his second term through Executive Order 14155.
The statement asserts that, like “several international organizations, the WHO has abandoned its fundamental mission and has repeatedly acted against the interests of the United States.”
The U.S. government stated: “Although the United States was one of the founding members and the largest financial contributor to the WHO, the organization has pursued a politicized and bureaucratic agenda dictated by nations hostile to American interests.”
The statement further criticized the WHO for obstructing the timely sharing of critical health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The WHO obstructed the rapid and accurate sharing of crucial information that could have saved American lives, and then covered up these failures under the guise of acting in the interest of public health,” it said.
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It also announced that “all U.S. funding and participation in WHO initiatives has ceased,” adding that the United States “will continue to lead the world in public health, saving millions of lives and protecting Americans at home by preventing infectious disease threats from reaching our shores, while advancing global health security through direct, bilateral, and results-oriented partnerships.”
The statement concludes by underscoring a more selective, results-driven approach: “We will continue to work with trusted countries and health institutions to share best practices, strengthen preparedness and protect our communities through a more targeted, transparent and effective model that delivers concrete results.”
UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric swiftly responded to the American statement. “For all intents and purposes, the US is no longer participating in the work of the World Health Organization,” he said, while highlighting the continued need for collaboration on cross-border health issues, including viruses and non-communicable diseases.
Public health advocates have criticized the U.S. withdrawal. Vaccine policy expert Lucky Tran commented on social media: “It is by no means perfect, but we can only improve it by continuing to participate. Withdrawal is reckless and makes us all more vulnerable.”
