Wednesday, March, 18 2026 - Argentina has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization, its foreign minister confirmed, following a similar move earlier this year by the United States.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.
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