WHO defends COVID-19 response, slams criticisms after US exit

The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed regret on Jan. 25 over the United States’ (U.S.) notification of withdrawal from the agency and rejected its claims regarding its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO rebutted the U.S. assertion that it had “tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it,” emphasizing that, like with every Member State, it has consistently engaged with the withdrawing country in good faith and with full respect for its sovereignty.

In a January 22 joint statement, the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy explained the reasons behind the termination of the membership.

“This action responds to the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to rectify the harm from those failures inflicted on the American people,” the joint statement read.

Rubio and Kennedy added that the WHO abandoned its core mission and repeatedly acted against U.S. interests.

According to the statement, the organization allegedly obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information that could have saved American lives and concealed these failures under the guise of acting “in the interest of public health.”

“While no organization or government got everything right, WHO stands by its response to this unprecedented global health crisis,” the agency responded, highlighting that it acted promptly, shared information transparently, and advised Member States based on the best available evidence.

WHO clarified that it never mandated masks, vaccines, or lockdowns during the pandemic, but rather provided guidance to support States in making their own decisions, including recommendations on mask use, vaccinations, and physical distancing.

The agency also noted that it responded quickly to early COVID-19 reports, alerted the world, urged swift action, and has since strengthened its systems to help countries, including the US, improve pandemic preparedness.

The withdrawing member state also mentioned that “the organization pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests,” which WHO countered that it has always remained impartial and exists to serve all countries as a specialized United Nations (UN) agency.

Historically a major donor of the organization, the U.S. has not paid its 2024 to 2025 fees, amounting to around USD 260 million, causing significant job losses, and it refuses to settle this despite WHO lawyers saying it is obligated to pay.

In line with this, it has ended all funding to the agency, recalled its personnel, suspended hundreds of engagements, and stopped participating in WHO committees, leadership bodies, and working groups.

“Going forward, U.S. engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate our withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people,” Rubio and Kennedy added.

Following the COVID-19 crisis, the organization’s member states adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement in April 2025 to improve global preparedness and ensure fair access to vaccines and treatments, which the U.S. did not join.

Member states are also negotiating an annex to the treaty, the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system, to promote rapid detection and sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential.

“We hope that in the future, the United States will return to active participation in WHO,” the agency concluded its statement.

The U.S. withdrawal is expected to be discussed by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting beginning February 2 and by the World Health Assembly during its annual meeting in May 2026.

The withdrawal process was formally initiated when U.S. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14155 on January 20, 2025.