US finalises exit from World Health Organisation
Trump called the organisation too "China-centric" following their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
The United States has officially left the World Health Organisation (WHO) after a year of warnings that their exit could considerably damage US and global public health.
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The decision was based on the health agency's management of the COVID-19 pandemic, with President Donald Trump claiming it was too "China-centric" - a statement rejected by WHO leaders.
Trump has been adamant on the US exit since the first day of his presidency in 2025, when he issued an executive order that America would quit the UN-based organisation.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO member states composed an international pandemic treaty designed to prepare and deal with future pandemics, with measures including sharing vaccines - a treaty agreed and signed by all WHO member states in April last year, other than the US.
Director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the withdrawal was a loss for the US and the world.
America's withdrawal has now left WHO without one of its biggest donors, after two years of Washington refusing to pay its fees - a decision which caused considerable financial upset, and huge job losses as consequence.
WHO lawyers have suggested that the US is still obliged to pay the estimated at $260m (£193m) to the organisation.
Washington says it sees no reason to do so.
A joint statement from US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy (RFK) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that WHO had "tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it" and the organisation had "abandoned its core mission and acted repeatedly against the interests of the United States".
They said that this included failing to return the American flag based at its Geneva headquarters.
"Going forward, U.S. engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate our withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people."
The US administration said it would continue to have bilateral relations with other nations to ensure disease surveillance, but were but were unable to provide information about with whom these had been established.