WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (KUNA) -- The US government announced its formal withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the suspension of all funding to the world's largest global health body.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said in a joint statement issued Thursday evening that "today, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), freeing itself from its constraints." Washington said the move came in response to WHO failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to address the damage those failures inflicted on the American people.
The statement said that, like many international organizations, WHO had abandoned its core mission and repeatedly acted against US interests despite Washington being a founding member and the organization's largest financial contributor.
It added that WHO adopted a bureaucratic political agenda driven by countries hostile to US interests and obstructed timely and accurate sharing of vital information that could have saved American lives.
The statement said WHO later concealed those failures under the pretext of acting in the interest of public health.
Rubio and Kennedy stressed that future US engagement with WHO will be limited to implementing the withdrawal and safeguarding the health and safety of the American people.
They confirmed that US funding for all WHO initiatives has fully stopped, along with the provision of American personnel to the organization.
The two officials said the United States will continue global leadership in public health through direct, bilateral, results-based partnerships to save lives and protect Americans from infectious disease threats.
They reaffirmed continued cooperation with trusted countries and health institutions to enhance preparedness and protect communities through a more focused, transparent and effective model.
President Donald Trump had previously withdrawn the United States from dozens of international organizations, including several UN bodies, accusing them of hostility to US interests or wasteful use of American funds. (end) asj.aai