In a significant geopolitical move, Argentina’s President Javier Milei has ordered the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing profound differences with the United Nations agency. A presidential spokesperson confirmed the decision on Wednesday, signalling a major shift in Argentina’s global health policy.
Milei’s decision aligns with the stance of his ally, US President Donald Trump, who had initiated the process of pulling the United States out of WHO with an executive order on his first day back in office on January 21.
Argentina’s decision is based on “profound differences in health management, especially during the (COVID-19) pandemic,” spokesperson Manuel Adorni said at a news conference in Buenos Aires. He said that WHO guidelines at the time had led to the largest shutdown “in the history of mankind.”
He also said that WHO lacked independence because of the political influence of some countries, without elaborating which countries. Argentina will not allow an international organization to intervene in its sovereignty “and much less in our health,” Adorni added.
WHO is the UN’s specialised health agency and is the only organization mandated to coordinate global responses to acute health crises, particularly outbreaks of new diseases and persistent threats including Ebola, AIDS and mpox.
(With AP inputs)
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