US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to formally withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision, announced on Monday (local time), comes after a prolonged period of criticism directed at the WHO, which Trump blamed for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and failing to address the broader global health crises.
In the executive order, President Trump emphasized that the United States’ decision to withdraw, originally announced in July 2020, was due to what he described as the WHO’s failure to handle the outbreak of COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, and the organization’s overall ineffectiveness in addressing other major health concerns. The order also cited the WHO’s failure to adopt necessary reforms and its continued vulnerability to political influence from its member states.
“The United States began its withdrawal from the World Health Organization in 2020, following its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health emergencies,” the order said. “Additionally, the WHO failed to implement reforms and continues to be heavily influenced by political forces within its member states.”
Trump’s executive order also pointed to a disparity in financial contributions, with the US shouldering a far greater financial burden compared to other nations. The order specifically criticized the financial obligations placed on the US, asserting that the payments demanded were disproportionate to those made by other countries, particularly China.
“Furthermore, the WHO continues to demand unfair financial contributions from the United States, which are far out of proportion with the assessments made for other countries. For example, China, with a population of 1.4 billion, contributes nearly 90% less to the WHO than the United States,” the order continued.
Trump further explained the financial inequality in a statement made in the Oval Office, pointing out that the US had paid $500 million to the WHO, while China, despite its much larger population, contributed only $39 million. This significant imbalance, according to Trump, was a key factor in his decision to cut ties with the organization.
“We paid 500 million dollars to the World Health Organization, while China, with 1.4 billion people, paid just 39 million,” Trump added. “It seemed a little unfair to me.”
The President’s remarks also extended to the ongoing situation with TikTok, where Trump threatened to impose tariffs on China if the country did not approve a deal with the social media platform. The potential for trade sanctions on China was framed as a bargaining chip in negotiations, underscoring Trump’s approach of using economic leverage to push for favorable outcomes for the US.
“If China doesn’t approve the TikTok deal, we could put tariffs on China,” Trump stated. “Until I came along, China never paid a cent to this country. They ripped us off, and they never paid anything.”
Trump’s executive order to withdraw from the WHO marks a decisive shift in US foreign policy under his administration, signaling an end to the country’s participation in the global health organization. It also comes as he begins his second term in office, having been sworn in earlier in the day as the 47th President of the United States.
(Inputs from ANI)
