Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States will exit the World Health Organization (WHO), citing its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump criticized the global health agency for succumbing to “inappropriate political influence” from its member states and imposing “unfairly onerous payments” on the U.S., claiming these contributions far exceeded those of other nations, including China.
“World Health ripped us off. Everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump stated during the announcement.
The decision sets the U.S. on a path to leave the UN health body within a year, halting financial contributions that currently account for approximately 18% of WHO’s budget. WHO’s most recent budget for 2024-2025 amounts to $6.8 billion, with the U.S. serving as its largest donor.
This is not the first time Trump has targeted the WHO. In 2020, during his first presidential term, he initiated efforts to withdraw from the organization, accusing it of aiding China’s attempts to “mislead the world” about COVID-19’s origins.
The WHO has denied these allegations and continues to advocate for transparency from Beijing, seeking clarity on whether COVID-19 originated from human contact with infected animals or as a result of laboratory research.
Source: Reuters
