
Trump pulls US from World Health pandemic reforms
Trump on returning to office on January 20 immediately began his nation's withdrawal from the UN body, but the State Department said the language from last year would still have been binding on the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who is a longtime critic of vaccines, said the changes 'risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy.'
'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.
Rubio and Kennedy disassociated the United States from a series of amendments to the International Health Regulations, which provide a legal framework for combatting diseases, agreed last year at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
'We regret the US decision to reject the amendments,' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement posted on X.
He stressed the amendments 'are clear about member states sovereignty,' adding that the WHO cannot mandate lockdowns or similar measures.
The changes included a stated 'commitment to solidarity and equity' in which a new group would study the needs of developing countries in future emergencies.
Countries have until Saturday to lodge reservations about the amendments. Conservative activists and vaccine skeptics in Britain and Australia, which both have left-leaning governments, have waged public campaigns against the changes.
The amendments came about when the Assembly failed at a more ambitious goal of sealing a new global agreement on pandemics.
Most of the world finally secured a treaty this May, but the United States did not participate as it was in the process of withdrawing from the WHO.
The United States, then under president Joe Biden, took part in the May-June 2024 negotiations, but said it could not support consensus as it demanded protections for US intellectual property rights on vaccine development.
Rubio's predecessor Antony Blinken had welcomed the amendments as progress.
In their rejection of the amendments, Rubio and Kennedy said the changes 'fail to adequately address the WHO's susceptibility to the political influence and censorship – most notably from China – during outbreaks.'
WHO's Ghebreyesus said the body is 'impartial and works with all countries to improve people's health.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
David Nabarro, British physician who led UN response to Ebola and COVID-19, dies
Dr. David Nabarro, a British physician who led the UN response to some of the biggest health crises in recent years – including bird flu, Ebola, and the coronavirus pandemic – has died. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, confirmed Nabarro's death on social media platform X. 'David was a great champion of global health and health equity and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,' Tedros wrote Saturday. 'His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world.' King Charles knighted Nabarro in 2023 for his contributions to global health after he served as one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19. He won the 2018 World Food Prize for his work on health and hunger issues. He also was a candidate for the top job at the WHO in 2017 but lost out to Tedros in the final round of voting. Nabarro left the UN later that year. The 4SD Foundation, a social enterprise in Switzerland focused on mentoring the next generation of leaders in global sustainable development, said its strategic director died at his home Friday in a sudden passing. Other details were not immediately available. 'David's generosity and unwavering commitment to improve the lives of others will be sorely missed,' the foundation wrote on its website Saturday. Survivors include his wife, Flo, as well as his five children and seven grandchildren.


Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
David Nabarro, British physician who led UN response to Ebola and COVID-19, dies
GENEVA: Dr. David Nabarro, a British physician who led the UN response to some of the biggest health crises in recent years, including bird flu, Ebola and the coronavirus pandemic, has died. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, confirmed Nabarro's death on social media platform X. 'David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,' Tedros wrote Saturday. 'His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world.' Deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of our dear friend, colleague and @WHO Envoy David Nabarro. David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals. His work touched and impacted so many lives across the… — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) July 26, 2025 King Charles knighted Nabarro in 2023 for his contributions to global health after he served as one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19. He won the 2018 World Food Prize for his work on health and hunger issues. He also was a candidate for the top job at the WHO in 2017 but lost out to Tedros in the final round of voting. Nabarro left the UN later that year. The 4SD Foundation, a social enterprise in Switzerland focused on mentoring the next generation of leaders in global sustainable development, said its strategic director died at his home Friday in a 'sudden passing.' Other details were not immediately available. 'David's generosity and unwavering commitment to improve the lives of others will be sorely missed,' the foundation wrote on its website Saturday. Survivors include his wife, Flo, as well as his five children and seven grandchildren.


Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Hamas rejects Trump remarks on Gaza talks breakdown
Hamas officials expressed surprise on Saturday at US President Donald Trump's accusation that the group 'didn't really want' a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza. Trump made the allegation of Friday a day after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar that had lasted nearly three weeks. 'Trump's remarks are particularly surprising, especially as they come at a time when progress had been made on some of the negotiation files,' Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP. 'So far, we have not been informed of any issues regarding the files under discussion in the indirect ceasefire negotiations,' he added Al-Nunu, who is close to Hamas's most senior political officials, said he was 'surprised' that Israel and the United States had left the talks. Announcing the recall of US mediators on Thursday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not 'acting in good faith.' Though not part of the Hamas negotiating team, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq insisted the group had shown 'flexibility' in the talks. 'The American statements deliberately ignore the real obstructionist to all agreements, Netanyahu's government, which continues to put obstacles, deceive and evade commitments,' he said. Both Hamas officials called on the United States to be more even-handed in its role as mediator in the quest for a ceasefire after more than 21 months of fighting. 'We call for an end to the US bias in favor of Netanyahu, who is obstructing any agreement,' al-Nunu said.