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The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday it “regrets” President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the global health authority, and said it hopes the United States will reconsider the decision.
President Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term announcing his intention withdraw from the WHOciting what he called “the organization’s mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China and other global health crises.”
This was not the first time Trump had moved to withdraw from the WHO, having tried to do the same in 2020. Former President Biden joined the organization before the waiting period ended of one year for withdrawal.
In a statement on Tuesday, the WHO said it “regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization”.
“The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing the work of WHO ever since, along with 193 other member states, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board,” WHO said.
“For more than seven decades, WHO and the US have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats,” he added. “Together, we ended smallpox and together we brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO.”
About one fifth of WHO’s budget comes from the US, about $1.28 billion. While the WHO would lose US dollars with the withdrawal, the US would lose access to WHO resources, such as global data.
“We hope that the United States will reconsider and look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the US and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the world,” added WHO.
