Argentina exits World Health Organization following US lead: What it means for public health and diplomacy?

Argentina has officially announced its decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), assuring that international cooperation in health will continue through bilateral and regional agreements. The recent revelation follows in the footsteps of the United States, as Argentina formally serves ties with the global health body.

This move was initially announced in February last year, and a month later, Quirno explained that the agreement of right-wing President Javier Milei had issued a formal notice of withdrawal to the WHO.

Quirno wrote in his social media post on Tuesday: “Today, Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) takes effect, marking one year since the formal notification was made by our country.”

“Argentina will continue to provide international cooperation in health through bilateral agreements and regional forums, while fully preserving its sovereignty and its capacity to make decisions regarding health policies.”

The recent decision to pull Argentina out of the WHO mirrors a similar action taken by its right-wing ally, US President Donald Trump. It has been observed that both leaders have expressed anger at international organizations that they accuse of advancing progressive policies in areas such as health and medicine. Last year’s announcement that Argentina would step back from the global health agency came roughly a month after Trump initiated the US withdrawal.

The US formalized its withdrawal in January for similar reasons, a decision lamented by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Unfortunately, the reasons cited for the US decision to withdraw from WHO are untrue,” Ghebreyesus said in a social media post at the time. Nonetheless, Argentina will no longer have a seat at the table when the WHO determines public health emergencies, potentially delaying its access to global emergency resources.