The United States says it will continue to work with countries and health institutions to advance health security objectives, share best practices, and protect the health and safety of its communities in a more direct, focused, and efficient model.
The sentiments follow the formal withdrawal of the US membership from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Among other reasons, it cited as failures during the COVID-19 pandemic what it called “obstructing the timely and accurate sharing of critical information” arguing the organization “concealed those failures”
The US Government’s position was made clear in response to a questionnaire from this publication through the Embassy Spokesperson.
The Embassy indicated that it remains committed to its role as global health leader through strong bilateral agreements.
“We will now pursue this leadership through strong bilateral agreements that directly protect American interests, detect outbreaks, and ensure our investments make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. By engaging countries directly rather than through multilateral bureaucracies, we can ensure streamlined bilateral relationships rather than complex multilateral structures”.
In its notification statement published on the organization’s website following the withdrawal, WHO dismissed assertions that it “trashed and tarnished” and insulted the US, and compromised its independence.
However WHO argued that as it does with every Member State, it has always sought to engage with US in good faith, with full respect for its sovereignty.
The UN agency stated that while no organization or government got everything right during the COVID-19 pandemic, it stands by its response to the 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” reads the notice.
It stated that immediately after receiving the first reports of a cluster of cases of “pneumonia of unknown cause” in Wuhan, China on 31 December 2019, WHO asked China for more information and activated its emergency incident management system.
WHO further said by the time the first death was reported from China on 11th January 2020, it had already alerted the world through formal channels, public statements and social media, convened global experts, and published comprehensive guidance for countries on how to protect their populations and health systems.
It regretted the withdrawal notification highlighting US significant contribution to many of the agency’s greatest achievements such as the eradication of smallpox, progress against many other public health threats including polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance and food safety.
However the UN health agency noted that the decision by the Trump administration makes both America and the world less safe.
Commenting on this, the US Embassy indicated that it’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has nearly 2,000 staff in 63 countries engaging directly with countries to get the information needed to protect Americans.
“HHS through CDC has hundreds of bilateral agreements that allow for information sharing and direct support to countries. HHS through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has over 200 confidentiality commitments and cooperative arrangements that facilitate information sharing and regulatory and scientific cooperation with more than 65 foreign partners”.
According to the WHO notice, the development raises issues to be considered by its Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on 2nd February and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.