World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has categorically rejected the United States' stated reasons for withdrawing from the agency, warning that the decision will diminish global health security at a critical moment.
"The reasons given by the United States for its withdrawal are untrue," Dr. Tedros said in a statement released this week. "This decision will make the world less safe, including the American people themselves."
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. The WHO, established in 1948 as the United Nations' health arm, has coordinated international responses to health crises from smallpox eradication to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has historically been the organization's largest contributor, providing both funding and technical expertise that shaped global health policy.
The Trump administration announced its withdrawal from WHO earlier this month, citing what it described as the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and excessive Chinese influence over its operations. US officials accused WHO of accepting Beijing's early pandemic claims without sufficient scrutiny.
Dr. Tedros, who has led WHO since 2017, directly contested these allegations. "WHO's response to COVID-19 was based on the best available science and evidence," he stated. "Our guidance saved millions of lives and was developed independently of any single nation's political interests."
The practical implications of American withdrawal extend beyond financing. WHO relies on US Centers for Disease Control expertise for disease surveillance, epidemic response, and vaccine development. American withdrawal removes this technical capacity while creating gaps in global disease monitoring networks.
Public health experts have expressed alarm at the decision. Dr. Anthony Fauci, former US chief medical advisor, described the withdrawal as "short-sighted and dangerous" in remarks to medical professionals last week. "Diseases do not respect national borders. Global health security requires international cooperation, and WHO remains the only institution capable of coordinating that cooperation," he said.
European and Asian governments have pledged to increase their WHO contributions to partially offset the American withdrawal, though no combination of nations can fully replace US financial and technical support. Germany announced an additional €100 million in funding, while Japan committed to expanding its secondment of health officials to WHO.
The WHO chief warned that reduced funding and expertise would compromise the organization's ability to respond to future pandemics and health emergencies. "We face threats from antimicrobial resistance, climate-related diseases, and potential future pandemics," Dr. Tedros noted. "Addressing these challenges requires the kind of international coordination that only WHO can provide."
The United States withdrawal becomes effective in 12 months, providing a window for potential reversal should political circumstances change. However, the Trump administration has given no indication it intends to reconsider the decision.
