When announcing the decision, Trump repeated the accusation that the organization did not promptly warn the world about Covid-19 due to pressure from Beijing.
US President Trump at the White House on May 29.
It is unclear whether Trump can decide to unilaterally withdraw from WHO.
Larry Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, said the President may need congressional approval to end America’s membership.
`The only situation where he can do it is if Congress has agreed to give this power to the President in advance,` said Kelley Lee, a public health professor at Simon Fraser University.
If Trump makes a unilateral decision, Congress could sue him in federal court over the issue, Gostin said, but Trump would still be able to stop funding to the WHO until the court rules.
Experts say that ultimately American politics will be the one to decide whether Trump’s actions are appropriate.
The question many people ask is why Trump suddenly made a decision before the deadline had expired.
Trump said at the time that the administration was coordinating with the WHO to implement reforms, although he did not specify what they were.
`If there is a problem, the US should name it and fix it, instead of withdrawing from the organization,` said Amanda Glassman, from the Center for Global Development.
According to Alex Ward, journalist for Vox, Trump’s move is a strong blow to WHO.
However, Trump’s decision may not have an immediate impact on WHO’s operations.
Global health experts assess that his decision to cut ties with WHO at a time when Covid-19 is raging is a dangerous choice.
`WHO is the world’s early warning system for infectious diseases,` said Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey.
Trump has long downplayed multilateralism as he focuses on an `America first` agenda.
In fact, John Ullyot, spokesman for the US National Security Council, emphasized last week that although the US stopped funding the WHO, Washington has committed to spending a total of 10.2 billion USD to deal with the global pandemic.
At a meeting with WHO members last week, China pledged to contribute two billion USD to fight Covid-19 over two years.
`The move to leave the WHO sends a message that the world cannot rely on America’s leadership,` Republican congressman Will Hurt wrote.
`During the pandemic, WHO leaders have made questionable decisions, especially with China, but the organization still plays an important role in efforts to keep the world healthy,` Hurt added.