Already in the first days after occupying the presidential chair for the second time, Donald tramp he signed a series of decrees, which, among other things, provide for withdrawal of the United States of America (USA) from World Health Organizations (WHO).
"Oooh, this is really big," Trump said as he signed the document.
Trump, who is in his second presidential term, made the same decision a few years ago, due to complaints that the agency mismanaged the covid-19 pandemic, as well as because, as he said then, the organization receives too many funds from America.
When he was later succeeded by Joe Biden, the decision was reversed and the United States returned to membership in the global health agency.
The WHO calls for a review of the decision
The World Health Organization said it "regrets" Trump's announcement.
"We hope the United States will reconsider the decision, and we look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the US and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the world," said a statement on the WHO website.
"For more than seven decades, WHO and the US have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats," the WHO said.
"Together we ended smallpox and together we brought polio to the brink of eradication." American institutions have contributed to and benefited from WHO membership," the statement added.
The United States was a founding member of the WHO in 1948 and has since been involved in shaping and managing the work of the WHO, along with 193 member states.
Too expensive financing
One of the reasons cited in Trump's executive order for withdrawing from the WHO is America's large financial concessions to the organization.
Historically, the US has been the single largest contributor to the World Health Organization.
"WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States that are far out of proportion to estimated payments from other countries." China, with a population of 1,4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, but contributes almost 90 percent less to the WHO," the White House decision stated.
One of the main ways the US government supports the WHO is through assessed and voluntary contributions, which have been halted by President Trump's new executive order.
In the period 2020-2021, when the Trump administration withheld part of the funding from the covid-19 pandemic, the country was the third largest donor.
The Biden administration renewed the funding starting in 2021, and in 2022-2023. The US was once again the largest contributor to the WHO.
