Recent changes to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health Regulations have been officially rejected by the Trump administration, which says they violate individual liberties and U.S. sovereignty.
The changes “risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy,” according to a joint statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In a joint statement, they declared, “We will put Americans first in all our actions and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans’ speech, privacy or personal liberties,” they said in a joint statement.
The 2023 World Health Assembly approved the changes, but the United States distanced itself from them.
The U.S. decision was regretted by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, who insisted that the reforms respect national sovereignty and cannot impose mandates or lockdowns. The amendments include provisions to support developing nations and advance equity in an effort to improve global pandemic preparedness.
The majority of countries supported the reforms, but conservative organizations in the US, UK, and Australia were against them.
The United States withdrew its support due to worries about vaccine intellectual property rights, despite having taken part in previous negotiations under President Biden.
Additionally, Rubio and Kennedy charged that the WHO was susceptible to political influence, particularly from China. The WHO refutes these accusations, reaffirming its objectivity.
