Argentina will withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a presidential spokesperson announced Wednesday, following the United States’ recent decision to exit the global health body under President Donald Trump.
Trump, whom Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei considers a key ally, formally initiated the U.S. withdrawal on January 20, his first day back in office.
Milei’s administration cited “deep differences” with the WHO’s handling of global health issues, particularly its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni referenced Argentina’s extended lockdown under the previous leftist government as a key factor in the decision.
Adorni also pointed to concerns over the WHO’s “lack of independence from the political influence of other states.”
Trump similarly criticized the WHO’s handling of the pandemic and other health crises, arguing that the organization was influenced by foreign governments and imposed “unfairly onerous” financial burdens on the United States, its largest contributor.
