US Rejects WHO Pandemic Response Amendments, Citing Sovereignty Concerns

Washington, D.C.— The United States has formally withdrawn from recent World Health Organisation (WHO) reforms designed to strengthen the global pandemic response, further deepening its opposition to international regulatory frameworks.

The decision was confirmed on Friday in a joint statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, following President Donald Trump’s directive to reject the 2024 amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR)—measures that emerged after the COVID-19 crisis.

Rubio and Kennedy argued that the reforms pose a threat to U.S. self-governance, stating, “We will not allow international authorities to dictate domestic health policy or infringe on Americans’ freedoms.” They contended that many of the new provisions—such as expanded pandemic definitions, enhanced information-sharing, and equitable access to medical resources for poorer nations—carry vague terminology and could shift the international response from decisive action to “political priorities like solidarity.”

The 2024 amendments also advocated for improved global coordination, standardized pandemic protocols, and recommended that nations—especially developing ones—receive fair access to essential medical supplies. In practice, this would include the voluntary use of internationally recognized digital health certificates.

U.S. officials cited these digital requirements as problematic, expressing concerns over privacy, free speech, and the risk of “unwarranted interference” in domestic policymaking. “We will always put Americans first, and safeguard our sovereign right to determine health regulations,” the joint statement declared.

The move comes amid longstanding skepticism among U.S. conservatives toward multilateral institutions, with pandemic-era mandates—such as vaccine requirements and lockdowns—remaining deeply contentious. Advocates of the WHO reforms maintain, however, that borderless threats like pandemics demand collective action beyond national lines.

Earlier this year, President Trump announced the U.S. would be leaving the WHO entirely by January 2026. The U.S. also abstained from a separate WHO pandemic preparedness agreement adopted in May.

COVID-19, which swept the globe in 2020, claimed nearly 70 million lives and highlighted the urgent need for coordinated international health strategies.

By Enoch Odesola | July 20, 2025