The decision follows a similar move by the United States last month.
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Argentina will withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a presidential spokesperson who cited “profound differences” with the UN health agency.
President Javier Milei told the country’s foreign minister to initiate the withdrawal, spokesperson Manuel Adorni said during a press conference, the Associated Press reported.
Adorni said the government was concerned about international meddling in its internal affairs, citing a “lack of independence from the political influence” of WHO member states during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the withdrawal would give the country "greater flexibility to implement policies adopted in the context of interests that Argentina requires, as well as greater availability of resources".
It’s not clear how quickly the decision will be implemented.
Milei, a right-wing firebrand who won the presidency after campaigning on deep government cuts, has recently been floating the idea of pulling Argentina from the WHO and other international accords such as the Paris climate accords, according to local media reports.
Argentina’s decision to withdraw from the WHO comes on the heels of a similar move in the United States last month.
On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull the US out of the WHO, citing concerns with the agency’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, its political leadership, and reliance on US funding.
