Ayobamiji Komolafe 
On his first day as the 47th President of the United States (US), Donald Trump signed an executive order officially withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
This move marks a renewed stance against the United Nation’s public health agency, which Trump has long criticized for its handling of global health crises.
The executive order cited WHO’s alleged mishandling of the pandemic, particularly its response to the outbreak in Wuhan, China as one of the reasons for the withdrawal.
Also, failure to adopt necessary reforms to effectively address global health challenges and the organization’s perceived inability to operate independently of political influences from member states were noted as major reasons for such withdrawal.
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Additionally, claims that the US bears an unjust financial burden compared to other member nations contributed majorly to the withdrawal.
As he signed the executive order, Trump reportedly stated, “That’s a big one,” referring to his 2020 decision to withdraw the US from the WHO amid the pandemic.
He argued that the organization continues to demand “unfairly onerous payments” from the US, which he believes contributes disproportionately compared to other countries.
It would be recalled that Trump first announced his intention to withdraw the US from the WHO in July 2020, during his tenure as the 45th President.
At the time, he criticized the organization for its handling of the pandemic and accused it of favouring China.
Despite rejoining the WHO under the Biden administration, Trump’s latest decision reinforces his long-standing position on the organization’s inefficiency and bias.
The withdrawal however may significantly impact global health efforts, as the US has historically been the WHO’s largest donor.
