SRINAGAR: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). Citing dissatisfaction with the organisation’s performance and governance, the executive order marks a return to Trump’s prior stance on the WHO during his first term, reports in the global media suggest.
The order criticises the WHO for handling the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged political influences, and what it describes as an inequitable funding structure. As an example of the organisation’s flaws, Trump pointed to China’s disproportionately low financial contributions despite its population size. The United States had previously issued a withdrawal notice in 2020, later reversed under the Biden administration in 2021.
The directive mandates the immediate cessation of US funding to the WHO, the reassignment of American personnel working with the organisation, and a review of global health partnerships to identify credible alternatives. President Trump also instructed the Secretary of State to inform the United Nations and WHO leadership of the withdrawal, effectively ending US participation in ongoing negotiations for a pandemic agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations.
While the administration commits to safeguarding public health through domestic measures and partnerships, the move has sparked criticism from global health experts who warn of potential disruptions to international pandemic preparedness and response efforts. Supporters of the decision, however, praise it as a step toward ensuring transparency and accountability in global health governance.
The withdrawal process will now proceed under the provisions of the executive order, setting the stage for further debate on the U.S. role in global health initiatives.
In response UN agencies responded on Tuesday to President Trump’s executive orders ending US membership of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its adherence to the Paris Climate Agreement, highlighting the massive potential negative impact on public health and efforts to curb global warming.
“The WHO regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization…We hope the United States will reconsider,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, hours after the new President signed an executive order at the White House, bringing US involvement in the UN agency to an end in 12 months.
The US joined WHO in 1948 after a joint resolution was passed by both chambers of Congress. The resolution requires the country to provide one year’s notice to leave the organization.
President Trump took steps to withdraw from the WHO in 2020 during his first term – but the move was reversed by the Biden administration.
Responding to journalists’ questions in Geneva, Jasarevic insisted that WHO “plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go.”
Asked about the impact of the US withdrawal, Mr. Jasarevic pointed out that he saw the executive order “this morning like everyone else” and that further analysis will be needed. He confirmed that the US was WHO’s largest single donor, accounting for 18 per cent of the agency’s budget in 2023.
Also in Geneva, UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke highlighted the UN health agency’s importance, saying that “the world lives longer, healthier, perhaps a little bit happier because of WHO”.
“WHO is in places where others cannot go,” Mr. Laerke said, including Gaza, Yemen, Afghanistan and Sudan. “It is an indispensable part of the international humanitarian system,” he insisted.
From the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), spokesperson Clare Nullis reacted to President Trump’s vow to quit the universally adopted 2015 Paris Agreement – marking an immediate return to the policies of his first presidential term, which ended in January 2021.
The need for all countries to respect the accord was “pretty obvious”, she said, given that 2024 “was the hottest year on record”, at about 1.55°C above the pre-industrial era. “It is the defining challenge of our time,” she insisted.
In the wake of the recent devastating and deadly massive wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles, the WMO spokesperson also noted that the US had suffered the bulk of global economic losses from weather, climate and water-related hazards.
“It has sustained 403 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. The total cost of these 403 events exceeds $2.915 trillion, according to US figures,” Ms Nullis said.
Her comments echoed those of the UN Spokesperson’s Office late on Monday which responded to journalists’ questions insisting that “the transformation envisaged in the Paris Agreement is already underway”, with a renewable “energy revolution” offering opportunities for jobs and prosperity.
“The Secretary-General remains confident that cities, states and businesses within the United States – along with other countries – will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership by working for the low-carbon, resilient economic growth that will create quality jobs and markets for 21st-century prosperity,” the statement continued.
“The United States must remain a leader on environmental issues,” it concluded.
