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President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts.
Trump, a long-time critic of the United Nations’ health agency, signed an executive order citing the organization’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, its alleged failure to adopt reforms, and its perceived political bias as reasons for the withdrawal.
“That’s a big one,” Trump remarked while signing the order, referring to his 2020 decision to pull out of the WHO, which was later reversed by then-President Joe Biden in 2021, reports CNN.
Biden’s administration rejoined the global health body as one of its first actions, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration during health crises.
The executive order claims the WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, and accuses the organization of failing to demonstrate independence from member states’ political influence.
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Dr. Ashish Jha, a former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, called Trump’s decision a “strategic error.”
He warned that the withdrawal could weaken the WHO and allow China to fill the political and financial void left by the United States, potentially increasing Beijing’s global influence.
Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor, labeled the move as “momentous” and criticized its timing, given the ongoing global health challenges.
Trump’s action also directs US agencies to halt future funding and resources for the WHO, which relies heavily on American expertise, particularly in global disease surveillance.
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