The head of the UN’s health agency has pushed back strongly against Washington’s stated reasons for withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO), calling US criticism “untrue” and warning the move would make the world less safe.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday that the US decision to formally withdraw from the agency “makes both the US and the world less safe.” In a post on X, he added: “Unfortunately, the reasons cited for the US decision to withdraw from WHO are untrue.”
He stressed that “WHO has always engaged with the US, and all Member States, with full respect for their sovereignty.”
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Washington had formally withdrawn from the WHO, accusing the agency of “failures during the Covid-19 pandemic” and acting “repeatedly against the interests of the United States.”
However, the WHO has not yet confirmed that the US withdrawal has taken legal effect.
‘Trashed and tarnished’
Rubio and Kennedy also claimed that the WHO had “trashed and tarnished” the United States and compromised its independence. The WHO rejected this, saying in a statement: “The reverse is true.”
“As we do with every Member State, WHO has always sought to engage with the United States in good faith,” the agency said.
The organisation also denied accusations that it obstructed the sharing of critical Covid-19 information or concealed failures. Kennedy further alleged that the WHO was responsible for Americans dying alone in nursing homes and for economic damage caused by mask and vaccine mandates.
In response, Tedros said the US statement “contains inaccurate information,” while WHO clarified: “Throughout the pandemic, WHO acted quickly, shared all information it had rapidly and transparently with the world, and advised Member States on the basis of the best available evidence.”
The agency added that while it recommended masks, vaccines and physical distancing, it never called for mandates or lockdowns, emphasising that such decisions were made by sovereign governments.
Withdrawal ‘raises issues’
The dispute comes as the US attempts to complete its exit from the WHO, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump a year ago. While the one-year withdrawal period ended on Thursday, the WHO says Washington still owes the organisation around $260 million in unpaid dues for 2024 and 2025.
WHO noted that when the US joined in 1948, it reserved the right to withdraw provided it gave one year’s notice and met its financial obligations in full.
“The notification of withdrawal raises issues,” the WHO said, adding that the matter will be reviewed during the Executive Board meeting next month and the World Health Assembly in May.
Tedros concluded by expressing hope that the US would return to active participation in the future, saying the WHO remains committed to pursuing “the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for all people.”
