Trump Withdraws US from World Health Organisation Again

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). This marks the second time Trump withdraws from the global health agency, citing grievances over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and accusations of political bias.

The executive order, one of many signed by Trump on his first day back in the White House, accuses the WHO of mismanaging global health crises and being overly influenced by certain member states. Trump has also criticised the financial burden placed on the US, which contributes nearly a fifth of the WHO’s $6.8 billion (£5.5 billion) annual budget.

Trump’s decision to pull out of the WHO comes just four years after he made a similar move during his first presidency, only for the order to be reversed by President Joe Biden. This latest action signals a continued scepticism toward international health organisations under Trump’s leadership.

“They wanted us back so badly, so we’ll see what happens,”

Trump remarked in the Oval Office, hinting at a possible future re-engagement with the agency.

Criticism of the WHO is not new for Trump, who has previously accused the organisation of being too “China-centric” in its response to Covid-19 and failing to adopt critical reforms. Public health experts, however, have voiced strong concerns about the US withdrawing its support. Lawrence Gostin, a global health expert at Georgetown University, described the move as “a grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US.”

The decision has raised alarms among public health professionals, who warn it could hinder progress in combating global diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Ashish Jha, a former Covid-19 response coordinator under Biden, noted that the withdrawal would harm both global health and the US’s position as a leader in science and public health.

The impact of this decision will unfold in the months to come, with questions about how it will affect the fight against infectious diseases and the US’s role in global health governance. Whether Trump’s order leads to a formal withdrawal or another reversal remains to be seen, but the implications for both the US and the international community are significant.

Learn more about the World Health Organization and its global health initiatives on the WHO official website.

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