Argentina Prepares to Withdraw from World Health Organization, Following U.S. Lead – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:54 AM – Wednesday, February 5, 2025
The government of Argentina has declared its intention to exit the World Health Organization (WHO), following a similar decision made by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
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In a press conference on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni stated that President Javier Milei has directed them to withdraw from the organization, echoing Trump’s earlier actions.
“President (Javier) Milei has instructed (foreign minister) Gerardo Werthein to initiate Argentina’s departure from the World Health Organization,” Adorni announced.
“We Argentinians will not permit any international organization to interfere with our sovereignty, particularly concerning our health,” he added.
Adorni emphasized that Argentina’s decision stemmed from “significant disagreements over health management, especially during the pandemic that resulted in the longest lockdown in human history and a lack of autonomy in light of the political sway of certain countries.”
A subsequent statement from Argentina’s presidential office accused the WHO of inflicting economic harm during the Covid-19 pandemic by “[promoting] extended quarantines.”
“It is critical for the international community to reassess the purpose of supranational organizations, funded by all, that fail to fulfill their intended objectives, engage in international politics, and seek to elevate themselves above member nations,” the statement expressed.
Trump proclaimed on his first day back in office that the United States would be withdrawing from the WHO.
He criticized the United Nations health agency in his January 20th executive order, citing its “mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis originating from Wuhan, China, its failure to make necessary reforms promptly, and its inability to show independence from inappropriate political influences from WHO member states” as reasons for the withdrawal.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed regret over Trump’s decision, asserting that the U.S. gains from the organization to which it contributes significantly.
However, many online commentators have pointed out that the real loss would be felt by the WHO, rather than the U.S., as the U.S. provides more funding than most people realize.
“The United States is indeed the largest contributor to the WHO. As per the latest data from the organization, the U.S. contributed $1.28 billion to the WHO’s budget for the 2022-2023 biennium, which includes $218 million in assessed contributions, $1.02 billion in voluntary contributions, and $47 million allocated to an emergency contingency fund. In contrast, China contributed a total of $157 million in the same period. The total approved budget for the WHO for 2022-2023 was $10.4 billion, meaning the U.S. accounted for approximately 12 percent of that budget. Given a $2 billion shortfall in funds, the actual U.S. share of total WHO funding is estimated to be around 15 percent,” according to statista.
Adorni pointed out that Argentina does not receive WHO funding for health management like some other countries do.
“As a result, this action… will not lead to a loss of funds for the nation, nor will it impact the quality of our services,” Adorni clarified.
He further explained that withdrawing would grant Argentina “greater flexibility to implement policies” aligned with national interests and “more resource availability.”
“This reaffirms our commitment to maintaining sovereignty in health matters as a nation,” Adorni noted.
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