By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The World Health Organization (WHO) has criticised the decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw his country from the UN agency just hours after his inauguration, calling the action regrettable.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the WHO, a body he has criticised for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the White House hours after his inauguration, Trump said the United States was paying far more to the UN body compared to China, adding: “World Health ripped us off.”
The United States is the largest financier of the Geneva-based UN body, providing substantial funding to support WHO’s operations.
However, the WHO expressed hope on Tuesday that Trump would “reconsider” the decision.
“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans,” spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.
“We hope the United States will reconsider, and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.”
The US withdrawal may trigger a major restructuring of the institution and could significantly impact global health initiatives.
This is not the first time Trump has sought to sever ties with the WHO. During his first term, the United States issued a notice of intent to withdraw, accusing the organisation of being overly influenced by China during the pandemic’s early stages.
That move was later reversed under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The WHO spokesman stressed that it would take one year from formal notification for the US to leave WHO, as per existing rules.
In response to the development, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Beijing would continue supporting the operations of the WHO.
“The role of the WHO should only be strengthened, not weakened,” Guo Jiakun said.
“China will, as always, support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities… and work towards building a shared community of health for humanity.”
In his new executive order, Trump directed agencies 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.”
Experts have expressed concern over the US exit from the organisation.
“We cannot make WHO more effective by walking away from it,” Tom Frieden, a former senior health official under Barack Obama, wrote on X.
“The decision to withdraw weakens America’s influence, increases the risk of a deadly pandemic, and makes all of us less safe.”
Others warned that by withdrawing from the organisation, the United States would lose privileged access to important epidemic surveillance data, potentially harming its capacity to monitor and prevent health threats from abroad.
“Instead of being the first to receive vaccines, we will be at the back of the line,” Lawrence Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University, wrote on X.
