Emma Futch
GENEVA, Dec 11 (Reuters) – The director-general of the World Health Organization said on Thursday he still hopes the U.S. government will reconsider its decision to withdraw from the organization next month, saying a withdrawal would be a loss for the world.
Donald Trump signed the withdrawal order in one of his first actions as US president, saying global health agencies had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and were too close to China. Will take effect on January 22, 2026.
The decision raises concerns about global cooperation on any future outbreaks, with the World Health Organization helping to coordinate through a slew of international health regulations.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in response to a reporter’s question about withdrawing: “There are some things that are only available at WHO and cannot be obtained elsewhere. These issues are health security issues… That is why we are asking the United States to reconsider, because the world can only be safe if we are all on the same platform.”
“Their absence from the WHO will be a lose-lose, they will fail because of it. The rest of the world will fail too.”
Tedros said U.S. criticism of the organization was unfounded because it was addressing the issues through cost-cutting reforms and other measures. Regarding accusations of mismanagement of the pandemic, he said lessons had been learned.
He said he also agreed that Washington, the WHO’s largest donor for many years, should pay less to correct overreliance on a single donor.
Tedros said that despite early instructions from the Trump administration not to contact the WHO, U.S. health officials still regularly seek information from the WHO.
“We have given them any information they need because at the end of the day, WHO exists to keep the American people and the rest of the world safe,” he said.
(Reporting by Emma Futch; Editing by Miranda Murray and Allison Williams)