The Government of Javier Milei made a historic decision by announcing Argentina's exit from the World Health Organization (WHO), a measure that follows the decision made by the United States under the administration of Donald Trump, and recently ratified it.
The official notification was signed by Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein on February 25, although the news was announced in Geneva during the 78th World Health Assembly, taking the international representatives present by surprise.
This decision by Argentina and the United States caused surprise among the organization's officials, as never before had a member country formally requested its withdrawal from the WHO. In fact, the founding treaties of the organization do not contemplate an exit mechanism.
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From Milei's administration, the main argument revolves around the defense of national sovereignty, claiming that the organization promoted extreme measures such as "eternal quarantines" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the Argentine Government stated that these quarantines caused one of the greatest economic catastrophes in world history, mentioning that the quarantine model could be considered a crime against humanity due to the devastating impact on the social and economic life of Argentines, with the closure of schools, massive job losses, and deterioration of mental health, among other consequences.
In this scenario, the WHO is accused of having supported policies that resulted in approximately 130,000 deaths in Argentina during the pandemic.
Javier Milei y Donald Trump.
The recent absence of Argentina in the vote on the Global Pandemic Treaty, an agreement that would allow dangerous quarantines to be installed worldwide if another pandemic like COVID-19 breaks out, has also been interpreted as a sign of sovereignty and independence of the country in health matters.
It is worth remembering that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, for his country to officially withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The U.S. president took this measure on his first day in office, alleging mismanagement of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, its failure to implement urgent reforms, and lack of independence and "unjustly onerous" payments demanded of the United States.
