Watch live as the World Health Organization’s 34-member Executive Board meets in Geneva to fix its next budget and discuss the UN agency’s financial challenges after President Donald Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal.
After being sworn in as the 47th president, the Republican announced the United States would leave the global health agency, accusing it of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump claimed the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the US that were disproportionate to funds provided by other, larger countries, such as China.
In response, the WHO said it regretted the decision from its top donor country.
The US contributes approximately 18 per cent of funding for the WHO. The agency, whose two-year budget for 2024-2025 was $6.8bn, is struggling to raise cash for health emergencies from Gaza to Ukraine.
Trump also announced a 90-day pause on foreign aid pending a review shortly after his inauguration.
