15-07-2025
China rewrites global health leadership as US retreats from WHO
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other attendees applaud during the 78th World Health Assembly on May 20 in Geneva. © AP
Ruby Wang is the founder of LINTRIS Health, a health and life sciences consultancy bridging East and West for public and private sector clients, and founder of the ChinaHealthPulse newsletter.
The 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva this May marked a turning point in global health diplomacy. For the first time since the founding of the World Health Organization, the U.S. was both financially and diplomatically absent. It sent no senior officials and has withdrawn all funding, with little indication of re-engagement.
