WHO faces another blow as Argentina withdraws

Argentina has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to its foreign minister.

The decision follows a similar move by the United States, which also left the global health body earlier this year.

President Javier Milei’s government had announced plans to exit the WHO about a year ago. The government criticized how the organization handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Argentina’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the withdrawal process has now been completed in line with international agreements.

Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said the country will still work with other nations on health matters through partnerships and regional groups. However, he stressed that Argentina wants full control over its own health policies.

Previously, the government had argued that WHO recommendations were not always based on science, but influenced by politics.

The United States officially completed its own withdrawal in January after President Donald Trump signed an order to leave the organization.

The WHO has played a major role in fighting global diseases such as polio, HIV, Ebola, and tuberculosis, and in eliminating smallpox.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern about the withdrawals, warning that such actions could make global health less safe.