The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, ending a partnership that dates back to the agency’s founding in 1948. The move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump one year ago and removes one of the WHO’s largest historical donors from the global health body. The US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of State said the decision was driven by concerns that the WHO had strayed from its core mission, failed to reform, and acted against US interests during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials criticized the organization for delays in declaring COVID-19 a global health emergency and for what they described as unfair criticism of early US travel restrictions. The administration has also argued that countries such as China contributed less financially than the US despite their influence within the agency.…
