Reasons cited for US decision to withdraw are untrue, says WHO Chief

Geneva [Switzerland], January 25 : After the United States' withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they hoped the US would return to active participation in the WHO in the future

In a post on X, the WHO Chief hailed the contributions of the United States, a founding member of the WHO, which played a significant role in many of the WHO's greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox.

He said on X, "WHO has always engaged with the US, and all Member States, with full respect for their sovereignty. Unfortunately, the reasons cited for the US decision to withdraw from WHO are untrue. The notification of withdrawal makes both the US and the world less safe. We hope the US will return to active participation in WHO in the future"

"Meanwhile, WHO remains steadfastly committed to working with all countries in pursuit of its core mission and constitutional mandate: the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for all people."

He also shared the WHO statement on the notification of withdrawal of the United States

The statement highlighted America's contributions to many of the WHO's greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox and progress against other public health threats, such as polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and more.

"In its statements, the United States cited as one of the reasons for its decision, "WHO failures during the COVID-19 pandemic", including "obstructing the timely and accurate sharing of critical information" and that WHO "concealed those failures". While no organization or government got everything right, WHO stands by its response to this unprecedented global health crisis. Throughout the pandemic, WHO acted quickly, shared all information it had rapidly and transparently with the world, and advised Member States on the basis of the best available evidence. WHO recommended the use of masks, vaccines and physical distancing, but at no stage recommended mask mandates, vaccine mandates or lockdowns. We supported sovereign governments to make decisions they believed were in the best interests of their people, but the decisions were theirs," the statement read.

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As a founding member of @WHO, the United States of America has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox. WHO has always engaged with the US, and all Member States, with full respect for their sovereignty.… pic.twitter.com/5Zvik5TVo6— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 24, 2026

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This comes after on January 22, the United States of America came down heavily on the World Health Organisation, terminating its membership of the global health body, citing inefficient bureaucracy, mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and "failures" inflicted upon the American people.

In a joint statement issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Kennedy, it was mentioned that going forward, the US engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate its withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.

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