President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will terminate its relationship with the World Health Organisation (WHO), saying it had failed to undertake greatly needed reforms and “mislead” the world about the coronavirus when it emerged in China.

The move to quit the Geneva-based body, which the US formally joined in 1948, comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over the coronavirus outbreak. 

Trump blames China

Trump has accused the WHO of failing to hold Beijing to account over the coronavirus pandemic.

“China has total control over the World Health Organisation despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the US has been paying which is approximately $450 million a year,” he said.

Trump’s decision follows a pledge last week by Chinese President Xi Jinping to give $2 billion to the WHO over the next two years to help combat the coronavirus. The amount almost matches the WHO’s entire annual programme budget for last year.

The president said that the “world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency”.

He said that China had “instigated a global pandemic that has cost over 100,000 American lives”. The president accused China of pressurising the WHO to “mislead the world” about the virus.

China has rejected the US allegations and asked American politicians not to use the pandemic for political purposes.

Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, has been criticised for his own handling of the pandemic. 

US is the biggest funder of WHO

The health experts claimed Trump’s move would set back global efforts to track and defeat the virus.

The US is the biggest funder of the global health body, paying about $450 million in membership dues and voluntary contributions for specific programmes.

On May 19, Trump sent a four-page letter to the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warning he would permanently cut US funding of the WHO and reconsider US membership if the organisation did not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days.

A 1948 joint resolution of Congress on US membership of the WHO said the country “reserves its right to withdraw from the organisation on a one-year notice.”

Earlier this month, the World Health Assembly (WHA) of member states agreed there should be a thorough review of the organisation’s response to the pandemic. 

The US lawmakers have also expressed concern over defunding the organisation amid a pandemic.

EU urges US to reconsider decision

The European Union urged the US to reconsider its decision to cut ties with the WHO. “In the face of this global threat, now is the time for enhanced cooperation and common solutions. Actions that weaken international results must be avoided,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, said in a statement. “In this context, we urge the US to reconsider its announced decision,” they said.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also condemned the move and pledged intensive talks with Washington on the issue.

The EU has led calls for a review of the international response to the coronavirus pandemic, including the UN agency’s performance.

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