Geneva, January 25 (ANI) — Following the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he hoped the US would return to active participation in the organization in the future.
In a post on X, the WHO chief praised the United States, a founding member of the organization, for its significant contributions to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox.
“WHO has always engaged with the US, and all member states, with full respect for their sovereignty. Unfortunately, the reasons cited for the US decision to withdraw from WHO are untrue. The notification of withdrawal makes both the US and the world less safe. We hope the US will return to active participation in WHO in the future,” Tedros said.
He added that WHO remains firmly committed to working with all countries in pursuit of its core mission and constitutional mandate of achieving the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for all people.
Tedros also shared the WHO’s official statement on the US notification of withdrawal, which highlighted America’s role in major public health achievements, including progress against polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety.
In its statements, the United States cited alleged WHO failures during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons for its decision, including claims of obstructing the timely and accurate sharing of critical information and concealing those failures.
The WHO said that while no organization or government got everything right during the pandemic, it stands by its response to the unprecedented global health crisis. The organization stated that it acted quickly, shared information rapidly and transparently, and advised member states based on the best available evidence.
According to the WHO, it recommended the use of masks, vaccines, and physical distancing, but did not recommend mask mandates, vaccine mandates, or lockdowns. It said sovereign governments made their own decisions based on what they believed was in the best interests of their populations.
The remarks follow the US decision on January 22 to terminate its membership in the WHO, citing inefficient bureaucracy, mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and failures that it said harmed the American people.
In a joint statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Kennedy said future US engagement with the WHO would be limited strictly to carrying out the withdrawal process and safeguarding the health and safety of the American people.
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