A final call from the head of the WHO to the United States not to leave the organization. “We'll All Lose”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP / Profimedia
The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday launched a final appeal to the US not to leave this organization, from which the main power of the month would withdraw on January 22, 2026, a year after President Donald Trump announced this decision, reports the EFE agency, taken over by Agerpres.
“There are things that can only be done together with the WHO, related to health security, and for this reason we ask the United States to reconsider its decision, because the world can only be safe if we are all in the same boat,” said Tedros Ghebreyesus at a 2025 review press conference.
Washington's departure from the WHO, the organization in which the United States was the main financial contributor until this year, “will be a loss for everyone” and both the US and the rest of the world will suffer, Tedros added.
He recalled that the executive order signed by US President Donald Trump immediately after his return to the White House, establishing the withdrawal of the US from the WHO, listed several justifications that would motivate this decision, but, according to Tedros, “none of these reasons are well founded”.
Trump's order criticized, for example, the way WHO handled the COVID-19 pandemic and, in this regard, Tedros admitted that there were “weaknesses”, but appreciated that “lessons were learned to improve health systems at all levels”.
As for Trump's argument that the US financial contribution to the WHO is excessive, Tedros said that even this organization “wants the United States to pay less” to reduce its dependence on its main donors.
And regarding the criticism of the American administration about the lack of independence of the WHO – another reason cited by Trump in the same decision – Tedros defended the WHO, saying that this organization had no problem expressing its disagreement with the great powers, not only with the USA, but also with others such as China and Russia.
