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ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said it regretted the United States&rsquo; notification of withdrawal from the UN health agency, warning that the decision would make both the United States and the world less safe, while firmly rejecting Washington&rsquo;s criticism of the body&rsquo;s independence and handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement, released following the US notification, WHO said the United States, a founding member, had made significant contributions to many of the organization&rsquo;s major public health achievements, including the eradication of smallpox and progress against polio, HIV, Ebola, tuberculosis, malaria, and other global health threats.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2015172835489063345&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7738163e8d0072b0f9ea00fd951e8a8bfb0a274a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on Feb. 2 and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026,&rdquo; the agency said. The organization directly addressed US government statements accusing WHO of having &quot;trashed and tarnished&quot; America and compromising its independence, saying &quot;the reverse is true&quot; and that it has always engaged with Washington in good faith while respecting its sovereignty. Criticism of Covid-19 responseAddressing criticism of its Covid-19 response, including allegations of obstructing information sharing and concealing failures, the WHO said that while no organization or government handled every aspect of the pandemic perfectly, it stood by its actions during an unprecedented global health crisis.&nbsp; WHO said it acted quickly after receiving the first reports of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31, 2019, alerting the world and publishing guidance before the first death was reported on Jan. 11, 2020. When the WHO director-general declared Covid-19 a public health emergency of international concern on Jan. 30, 2020, there were fewer than 100 reported cases outside China and no reported deaths, the statement said. The agency rejected US claims that it has &quot;pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests,&quot; reiterating that it repeatedly urged countries to take immediate action in the pandemic&#39;s early weeks, warning &quot;the window of opportunity is closing&rdquo; and remained impartial and governed by its 194 member states. The organization clarified that it recommended masks, vaccines, and physical distancing but never mandated them, supporting sovereign governments in making their own decisions. WHO highlighted reforms and strengthened systems introduced following multiple reviews of the pandemic response, noting that these measures continue to help protect all countries, including the United States. The organization said it valued the continued engagement of other member states, noting the adoption last year of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which aims to improve global preparedness and response.&nbsp; It expressed hope that the United States would eventually return to active participation, reaffirming its commitment to the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for all.

FILE: WHO Director-General Dr Tedros at the ACANU Press Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, 11 December 2025 (WHO photo library)

Americas

The world health body defended its pandemic response, saying it shared information rapidly and transparently, never recommended mandates, and remains impartial, while regretting that the United States’ withdrawal makes both the US and the world less safe.

WHO regrets US notification of withdrawal, rejects accusations over COVID-19 response

ISLAMABAD: The US Secretary of Health, Robert Kennedy, on Saturday, announced US formal withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).&nbsp; In a post on X on Saturday, Kennedy stated: &ldquo;The United States has formally withdrawn from the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/withdrawal-from-who-makes-us-world-unsafe-who-chief" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Health Organization</a>.&rdquo; &ldquo;We are reclaiming our independence, protecting American sovereignty, and putting U.S. public health policy back in the hands of the American people,&rdquo; the post stated.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014831176695873653&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=f2b29df973d507d375ae26b5197177f518a3de63&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2014831176695873653"></iframe></div></div>In his video message accompanying the post, Secretary Kennedy stated: &ldquo;On Thursday, the United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization. We made this decision to reclaim our independence, to protect American sovereignty, and to free our public health policy from a system that no longer serves the American people.&rdquo;&nbsp;Covid pandemic&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;The World Health Organization has lost its way. It&#39;s drifted far from its founding mission, and it&#39;s become mired in bureaucracy, in conflicts of interest, and in international power politics. During the COVID pandemic, those failures weren&#39;t just abstract. They were deadly.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;The world watched as transparency collapsed, accountability disappeared, and ordinary citizens paid the price. That hasn&#39;t changed, and it isn&#39;t improving.&rdquo;&nbsp;Kennedy said, &ldquo;President Trump recognized the problems with WHO immediately. In fact, one of his very first executive orders of his second term began the formal process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization. It was an early decisive signal that American health policy would answer to the American people and not to foreign bureaucracies.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;America will continue to lead&rsquo;&nbsp;He further stated: &ldquo;Going forward, US engagement with the WHO will be limited solely to completing our withdrawal and safeguarding the health and safety of the American people. All US funding has ended. All government US personnel have stopped working there.&rdquo;&nbsp;Kennedy said: &ldquo;I believe this deeply, that only the United States has the scale, the innovation, and the leadership to drive global health solutions that put people first, starting with our own citizens.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Although we are withdrawing from the WHO, America will never withdraw from its leadership in global health. America will continue to lead. We will lead with science, with integrity, and with transparency, and with accountability.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;And let me say this clearly. For the Americans who died alone in nursing homes, the small businesses that were destroyed by reckless mandates, the families whose lives were upended by unelected foreign officials who never answered to them, this decision is for you,&rdquo; he concluded.&nbsp;

US Secretary Kennedy says the WHO ‘has lost its way. It's drifted far from its founding mission, and it's become mired in bureaucracy, in conflicts of interest, and in international power politics.’ 

Articles tagged with "Covid Pandemic"

WHO regrets US notification of withdrawal, rejects accusations over COVID-19 response

US formally withdraws from World Health Organization