Argentina ’s prexy has ordered the nation to pull out of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , following the lead-in of similar - minded allies in the US .
On February 5 , President Javier Milei – a self - described anarcho - capitalist nickname " El Loco " ( the Madman ) – direct to societal media to denote the climb-down , reference the WHO ’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as the prime reason .
“ The WHO was create in 1948 to coordinate the response to global wellness emergencies , but it failed in its greatest examination : it promote eternal quarantines without scientific support when it had to combat the COVID-19 pandemic , ” President Milei said in astatement .
“ Lockdowns caused one of the great economic calamity in cosmos history and , according to the Rome Statute of 1998 , the quarantine model could be classified as a criminal offence against humanity , ” he impart .
Despite these criticisms , the WHO lacks the authority to impose lockdown or impose policies . As a specialized delegacy of the United Nations , it serves as a organise consistence that provides guidelines , sets health standards , and offers technical assistance . While it does egress recommendation , such as during wellness emergencies , it relies on appendage state to voluntarily adopt and implement them as it has no enforcement powers .
Much like Trump , Milei require to chair an anti - spending , anti - red - tape measure rotation . His sentence at the helm has see Argentina undergo a shock therapy of uttermost austerity , deregulating , and slashing government spending . The abrasive policy have led to meaning caper losses and financial backing gash for the scientific community , forcing manyresearchers to flee the land .
mouth toSciencelate last yr , Jorge Geffner , a microbiologist at the University of Buenos Aires , described the government ’s policies as " scienticide . "
Before Milei ’s land tenure as President , the governing ofArgentinawas initially praise for its prompt response to the COVID-19 pandemic . However , it afterwards became apparent that authorities had n’t break a longsighted - term scheme beyond hard-and-fast lockdowns .
As a result , the economy suffered and public discontent grew . Human rights groupshave since accusedthe politics of using large - handed , militarized tactics to enforce lockdown measure in scummy - income neighborhoods .
Argentina was hit intemperately by the computer virus . Between January 2020 and October 2023 , Argentina recorded 10,044,957 corroborate case of COVID-19 and 130,472 related deaths , according to theJohns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center . For a country of roughly 45 million people , the scale of these numbers is considerable .
Perceived failures of the WHO ’s handling of COVID-19 were also cited when President Donald Trump announced his program towithdraw the USfrom the WHO in January 2025 . The president ’s executive ordering also complained that the US is being ram to bear “ unfairly onerous ” payment to the international agency .
“ The WHO continues to demand below the belt onerous payments from the United States , far out of proportion with other countries ’ assessed payments . China , with a universe of 1.4 billion , has 300 percent of the universe of the United States , yet contributes nearly 90 per centum less to the WHO , ” record theExecutive Order .
In response to the US withdrawal , the WHO said in astatement : “ For over seven decades , WHO and the USA have save countless lives and protected Americans and all the great unwashed from health threat . Together , we ended smallpox , and together we have wreak polio to the brink of eradication . ”
“ We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive talks to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO , for the benefit of the wellness and well - being of millions of people around the globe , ” it tally .
