By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday expressed regret over the United States’ notification of withdrawal from the global health body, warning that the decision would make both Americans and the wider world “less safe.”
In a strongly worded statement, WHO said the move would be reviewed by its Executive Board at a meeting starting on Feb. 2, and later by the World Health Assembly, the organization’s highest decision-making body, at its annual session in May 2026.
“As a founding member, the United States has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements,” the agency said, citing the eradication of smallpox and major advances against polio, HIV, Ebola, malaria and other global health threats.
WHO rejected claims from Washington that it had “trashed and tarnished” the United States, compromised its independence or pursued a politicised agenda.
“The reverse is true,” WHO said, adding that it had always engaged the United States “in good faith, with full respect for its sovereignty,” as it does with all 194 member states.
The United States has pointed to what it described as WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including allegations that the agency obstructed the timely sharing of information and later concealed its mistakes.
WHO said while no government or institution handled every aspect of the pandemic perfectly, it stood by its response to an “unprecedented global health crisis.”
The agency said it activated its emergency systems immediately after reports of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31, 2019, and had already alerted the world and issued technical guidance before China reported its first COVID-19 death on Jan. 11, 2020.
By the time the WHO director-general declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern on Jan. 30, 2020, fewer than 100 cases and no deaths had been reported outside China, the statement said.
Throughout the early months of the outbreak, WHO said its leadership repeatedly urged countries to act quickly, warning that “the window of opportunity is closing” and describing the virus as “public enemy number one.”
The organization also pushed back against assertions that it had promoted coercive measures, saying it recommended masks, vaccines and physical distancing, but never called for mandates or lockdowns, leaving such decisions to sovereign governments.
Since the pandemic, WHO said it has strengthened its own systems and supported countries to improve preparedness and response, noting that its round-the-clock surveillance and emergency mechanisms continue to contribute to global health security, including in the United States.
WHO also dismissed U.S. accusations that it is driven by nations hostile to American interests, stressing that it remains impartial and governed collectively by its member states.
The agency highlighted recent efforts by countries to reinforce global health cooperation, including the adoption last year of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and ongoing negotiations on a pathogen access and benefit-sharing system aimed at speeding up outbreak detection and ensuring fair access to vaccines and treatments.
“We hope that in the future, the United States will return to active participation in WHO,” the organization said. “Meanwhile, WHO remains steadfastly committed to working with all countries in pursuit of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for all people.”