A health reform advocate on Wednesday said he was saddened by the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a message to DAILY TRIBUNE, Dr. Tony Leachon said the WHO “has been a vital source of medical information, health policy guidelines, and timely reference that contributed to resolving the Covid pandemic.”

“During the pandemic, the WHO was my constant source of information for my daily podcast together with other reputable sources of medical information,” Leachon, former president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said.

“Personally, the 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,” he said.

In an executive order on Monday, 20 January, Trump announced the withdrawal of the US from the WHO, accusing the latter of “mishandling” the Covid-19 pandemic, not adopting “urgently needed reforms,” and of being politically influenced by other member states.

Trump’s executive order was an attempt to finish a process he began during the last months of his first term.

He temporarily slashed funding and signed an executive order in July 2020 removing the US from the WHO but, because withdrawal requires a one-year notice, former president Joe Biden reversed the decision upon taking office in January 2021.