President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to initiate the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The U.S., which has historically been the largest contributor to the Geneva-based global health agency, is taking this step following Trump’s accusation that the WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is not the first time Trump has made moves to exit the organisation. In 2020, towards the end of his first term, he began the process of withdrawing from the WHO. However, the Biden administration reversed the decision upon taking office.
The latest directive has already sparked widespread criticism.
In a statement, Peter Maybarduk, Access to Medicines Director for Public Citizen, condemned the decision, arguing it endangers both Americans and global health.
He said, “In withdrawing from the WHO, Trump is harming not just the rest of the world but every American. Pulling out of the organisation best able to mobilise countries to fight deadly viruses that don’t care about borders is not putting America first—it’s putting Americans at risk.
“As terrible as COVID was, it could have been much worse. U.S. cooperation with WHO and its partners to identify threats and deploy countermeasures saved millions of lives, including American lives.
“Global health cooperation will only become more important in the years to come, as new diseases emerge and spread due to worsening climate change. This still is one world, like it or not, and viruses don’t discriminate.”
The decision is expected to fuel debates on the implications of the U.S. exiting a global health agency critical to combating worldwide health crises.
