After US, Argentina Says Goodbye to WHO – What’s Next for Global Health?

Buenos Aires: Argentina's President Javier Miley has announced his country's separation from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to deep differences with the United Nations agency. A spokesperson of the President's House gave this information on Wednesday. Miley's action matches the move of his ally US President Donald Trump, who started the process of taking America out of the WHO through an executive order on the very first day of taking office on January 21.

Argentina made the decision "based on deep differences in health management, especially during the (Covid-19) pandemic," according to spokesman Manuel Adorni at a press conference in Buenos Aires. According to him, "the biggest shutdown in the history of mankind" was caused by WHO standards at the time. Argentina will not permit any foreign organization to meddle in its internal affairs, Adorni declared, "and certainly not in our health sector.

US is WHO's biggest donor.

The US is by far the biggest individual contributor to the UN body, which will contribute around $950 million (£760 million) in 2024, about 15% of the total budget. The US withdrawal would raise some difficult financial questions. Argentina, on the other hand, contributes around $8 million a year. It is unlikely to make a significant material difference.

Will Argentina withdraw from other treaties as well?

Javier Miley was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his election win on November 5. Speaking at a ceremony at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on the night of their meeting, Miley said that "the winds of freedom have been blowing very strongly since Trump's victory." Asked by reporters on Wednesday if President Miley was planning to withdraw from other international bodies or treaties, the president's spokesman refused to rule out any possibility.