By Achile Danjuma
Argentina has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization, its foreign minister confirmed, following a similar move earlier this year by the United States.
The decision comes under the government of Javier Milei, who had announced plans to leave the WHO a year ago, criticising the organisation’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Argentina’s Foreign Ministry, the withdrawal process has now been completed in line with international treaty timelines.
Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said: “Argentina will continue to promote international cooperation in health through bilateral agreements and regional forums, while fully preserving its sovereignty and its capacity to make decisions regarding health policies.”
He added that the country intends to maintain global health engagement outside the WHO framework. Argentina had previously argued that “the WHO’s recommendations are ineffective because they are not based on science, but on political interests.”
The move mirrors that of the United States, where Donald Trump formalised the country’s withdrawal in January, after signing an executive order upon returning to office. The WHO has historically played a major role in global health, including efforts to eradicate smallpox and combat diseases such as polio, HIV, Ebola and tuberculosis.
Reacting earlier this year, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he deeply regretted the US decision, warning it could make both the United States and the wider global community less safe.