US Withdraws from World Health Organization Amid Global Health Concerns

In a bold move, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), sparking widespread concern among public health experts and officials worldwide.

In his decision, Mr. Trump cited several reasons, including the W.H.O.'s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its failure to implement urgently needed reforms. He also claimed that the agency demands "unfairly onerous payments" from the United States, despite China paying a significantly lower amount.

The US pullout was not unexpected, given Mr. Trump's prolonged criticism of the W.H.O., particularly since 2020 when he slammed the agency over its coronavirus response and vowed to withhold funding. In July last year, the President formally initiated the withdrawal process but halted it after taking office despite losing his previous term.

However, following President Joe Biden's administration's move on his first day in office, January 20, 2021, to block the US withdrawal from going into effect, Mr. Trump appears to have now carried out his commitment to depart the global health organization.