Argentina announces withdrawal from the World Health Organization

Argentine President Javier Milei has ordered the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to “deep differences” with the UN agency, an Argentine presidential spokesman announced on Wednesday.

President Milei’s decision mirrors that of his ally, US President Donald Trump, who initiated the process of withdrawing the United States from the WHO with a decree on his first day in office on January 21.

Argentina was expected to contribute just $8 million toward the WHO’s estimated $6.9 billion 2024-2025 budget.

Spokesperson Manuel Adorni told a press conference in Buenos Aires that Argentina’s decision was based on “profound differences in health management, especially during the (COVID-19) pandemic.”

Adorni stated that WHO guidelines at the time led to the largest lockdown “in human history.”

Argentina would not allow an international organization to interfere in its sovereignty, the spokesperson added.

Adorni did not specify when Milei’s decision would be implemented. He also claimed, without naming specific countries, that the WHO lacked independence due to the political influence of some member states.

Milei had sharply criticized the curfew imposed by former President Alberto Fernández during the pandemic, arguing that it had damaged the economy and that the government was using it as a mechanism of “repression.”

“LIVE FREEDOM,” Milei wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday in a post criticizing the UN agency.

Adorni emphasized that Argentina does not receive funding from the WHO for health management and that the president’s decision would not affect the quality of health care.

“On the contrary, it provides greater flexibility to implement policies adopted in the context of the interests that Argentina needs,” the spokesperson added.

Last year, the Milei government refused to sign an agreement to manage epidemics within the framework of the WHO, citing concerns that it could undermine national sovereignty.