BUENOS AIRES – The president of Argentina has ordered the withdrawal of the country from the World Health Organization for “in -depth differences” with the UN agency, said a president spokesperson on Wednesday.
President Javier Milei’s decision reflects that from his ally, US President Donald Trump, who started the trial to take off the United States from who with an executive order on his first day back in office on January 21.
The loss of another Lidland will break the cooperation in global health, although Argentina is expected to provide only around $ 8 million to WHO for the estimated budget of $ 6.9 billion 2024-2025 of the agency.
The decision of Argentina is based on “in-depth differences in health management, especially during the (COVID-19) Pandemie”, spokesperson Manuel Adorni told a press conference in Buenos Aires. He said who the guidelines at the time led to the greatest closure “in the history of humanity.”
Argentina will not allow an international organization to intervene in its sovereignty “and much less in our health,” he added.
Who has no authority to force countries to take specific health actions, and the guidelines and recommendations of the organization, including in health crises such as COVID-19, are often ignored.
He said it investigated the announcement of Argentina.
Adri did not say when Milei’s decision would be implemented. He also claimed that those who miss independence because of the political influence of some countries, without giving a name.
That is the only organization imposed to coordinate global reactions to acute health crises, in particular outbreaks of new diseases and persistent threats, including Ebola, AIDS and MPOX.
Milei was a sharp critic of the Lockdown imposed by former President Alberto Fernandez during the pandemic and claimed that it hurt the economy and that the government used it as a mechanism of ‘repression’.
“Long live freedom,” said Milei on Wednesday in a post criticized with the UN agency.
Argentina does not receive WHO financing for health management, and the president’s decision has no influence on the quality of the health services, Adornni said.
“On the contrary, it gives greater flexibility to implement the policy that is assumed in the context of interests that Argentina requires,” he added.
Last year the government of Milei refused to sign an agreement to manage pandemies within the WHO framework, on the basis of the fact that this could influence national sovereignty.
The WHO announcement will come later this month before the trip from Milei to the US that coincides with the Conservative Political Action Conference Summit of right -wing leaders in Washington. The spokesperson did not confirm that Milei will be present or that he could meet Trump.