Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order initiating the process for the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US to leave the WHO, a move that has sparked widespread attention.

“Oh, this is a big deal,” the newly inaugurated US president said as he approved the document upon returning to the White House. This was one of many executive orders he signed on his first day in office. Trump had previously criticized the WHO's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and initiated the process to withdraw from the Geneva-based agency during the pandemic, which was later reversed by President Joe Biden.

The executive order states that the US withdrawal from the WHO is "due to the organization's mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic originating in Wuhan, China, failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and failure to demonstrate independence from undue political influence by WHO member states." The order also mentions the withdrawal is because the US paid "an unfair and burdensome amount" to the WHO.

“They want us back very badly, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the WHO, perhaps suggesting that the US might eventually rejoin the organization. Trump had previously criticized the organization for being too "China-centric" in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and accused the WHO of favoring China in its guidance during the outbreak.

Under the Biden administration, the US remains the WHO's largest funder, contributing nearly one-fifth of the agency's budget in 2023. The organization's annual budget is $6.8 billion (£5.5 billion). Public health experts have criticized Trump's decision to withdraw from the WHO, warning that it could have implications for the health of Americans. Some argue that the move could reverse progress made in fighting infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS.

Ashish Jha, who served as President Biden’s Covid-19 response coordinator, previously warned that withdrawing from the WHO “would not only harm the health of people around the world, but it would harm American leadership and scientific strength.” Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and professor at Georgetown University, said: “This is a catastrophic presidential decision. The withdrawal is a profound injury to world health but a deeper injury to the US.”