Washington: The United States has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organisation (WHO), citing failures in the global body’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration said the move fulfils a promise made by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. said the withdrawal was executed through Executive Order 14155, aimed at freeing the United States from what they described as the WHO’s constraints.

“Today, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organisation (WHO), freeing itself from its constraints, as President Trump promised on his first day in office by signing E.O. 14155,” the statement said. “This action responds to the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to rectify the harm from those failures inflicted on the American people.”

The administration accused the WHO of abandoning its core mission and acting against US interests, despite the country being a founding member and the organisation’s largest financial contributor. It claimed the WHO pursued a “politicised, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests” and failed to ensure timely, accurate information sharing during the pandemic, potentially costing American lives.

The statement also criticised the WHO’s response to the US withdrawal, including its refusal to return the American flag displayed at its headquarters and its claim that the withdrawal had not been approved.

Going forward, the US will limit engagement with the WHO strictly to completing the withdrawal process while focusing on protecting public health domestically. All funding and staffing for WHO initiatives have ended.

The administration said the United States will continue to lead global public health efforts through direct, bilateral partnerships and cooperation with trusted health institutions. “We will continue to work with countries and trusted health institutions to share best practices, strengthen preparedness, and protect our communities,” the statement said, while criticising the WHO as a “bloated and inefficient bureaucracy.

The withdrawal is intended to honour Americans affected by the pandemic, including those who lost their lives in nursing homes and businesses harmed by pandemic restrictions.

The United States was a founding member of the WHO in 1948 and has historically been its largest single contributor. The decision represents a significant shift in US engagement with international health institutions and follows long-standing criticism of the WHO’s pandemic response.

IANS