Minister addresses concerns over US exit from WHO

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the United States' exit from the World Health Organization (WHO) might impact the organization's funding, although it will not affect funding for Indonesia.

"We do not receive much funding from WHO. However, the WHO is affected by the withdrawal," Sadikin remarked when met in Jakarta on Wednesday.

On January 20, Donald Trump was reinstated as President of the United States for the 2025-2029 term.

Some of his policy plans include the US withdrawal from WHO, exiting the Paris Climate Agreement, and recognizing only two genders: male and female.

The day after, the WHO expressed its disappointment regarding the US withdrawal.

“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing, and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go," WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic stated in Geneva.

He emphasized that the US was a founding member of WHO since its inception in 1948. Over more than seven decades, both WHO and the US have saved countless lives and protected the American people and the rest of the world from health threats.

“Together, we ended smallpox, and together, we are on the verge of eradicating polio,” Jasarevic stated.

According to the spokesperson, the US has been the largest single donor to WHO, providing 18 percent of its budget for 2023.

“We will see how this situation will develop along with the consequences," he remarked.

He expressed hope that the US would reconsider its decision and engage in constructive dialogue to sustain the partnership between the US and WHO for the sake of the health and well-being of millions of people globally.