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‘Hope US will reconsider’: WHO on Trump's decision to withdraw from global health body

Jan 21, 2025 04:06 PM IST

Donald Trump signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing America from the World Health Organisation

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday reacted to US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the global agency.

US President Donald Trump and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
US President Donald Trump and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

In an X post, the WHO chief said,"The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization. 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."

Trump signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing America from the World Health Organisation, the second time in less than five years that the US has ordered to withdraw from the world body.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump starts 2nd term with blitz of executive orders: Full list

“The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board. For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats,” the WHO chief posted.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) came under intense criticism from Trump in 2020 for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO. With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues,” he added.

“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,” Ghebreyesus said.

ALSO READ: Missed Donald Trump's inauguration speech? Here's a quick 5-point recap

Trump on withdrawing from WHO

When an aid presented to Trump an executive order on WHO withdrawal to be signed by him, the US president told reporters,"That’s a big one."

“We paid USD 500 million to World Health when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, has 350 dependents... nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But let's say we have 325 (million people). They (China) had 1.4 billion people. They were paying USD39 million. We were paying USD500 million. It seemed a little unfair to me,” PTI quoted Trump as saying.

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