U.S. and Argentina Send Shockwave Through Global Health by Exiting WHO

Joint statement by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Argentina’s top health official outlines plan for a new, sovereignty-focused model of international cooperation.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Argentina’s Minister of Health Mario Lugones have released a joint statement announcing that both countries are formally withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing serious concerns over the organization’s direction and effectiveness.

In their statement, the two health leaders criticized the WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling out its failure to ensure transparency and provide timely access to information. They said this mismanagement impaired countries’ abilities to respond and had devastating consequences worldwide.

Kennedy and Lugones pointed to the organization’s growing politicization, lack of reforms, and dependence on voluntary funding as further reasons for the split. They argued that the WHO has strayed from its original mission and become too vulnerable to outside agendas.

The joint withdrawal, they said, marks a new chapter focused on building a modern model of international health cooperation rooted in scientific integrity, transparency, sovereignty, and accountability. Both countries emphasized their commitment to cost-effective, evidence-based policies that address root causes of illness—such as environmental toxins and poor nutrition—with a special focus on children’s health.

“Our governments can no longer support a system that fails to protect our people or deliver on its promises,” the statement concluded. “We call on all nations that value scientific integrity and national sovereignty to join us in creating a new era of global health cooperation—one focused on results, autonomy, and protecting human dignity.”

Read the HHS Press Release