Trump Defends WHO Withdrawal as Hantavirus Strikes Cruise Ship

(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday stood firmly behind his decision to pull America out of the World Health Organization (WHO), dismissing mounting criticism that the withdrawal contributed to a sluggish international response to a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise vessel in the Atlantic Ocean.

Pressed by reporters at the White House on whether he harbored any regrets over the exit, Trump was unequivocal.

"We weren't being treated well, and they were making the wrong diagnosis," he said, reiterating long-standing accusations that the WHO had allowed China to exert undue influence over its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding Disparity at the Core of Trump's Grievance
Central to Trump's case against the Geneva-based body was what he described as a deeply inequitable funding arrangement — one in which Washington bore a disproportionate financial burden relative to Beijing.

"We were paying for, let's say, 350 million people. We were paying $500 million a year ... and China was paying $39 million a year for 1.4 billion people," he said.

Trump also revisited the WHO's pandemic-era track record, offering a blunt verdict.

"On COVID, they were totally wrong," he said.

Trump signed the executive order formalizing America's departure from the WHO at the outset of his second term in January of last year.

18 Americans Evacuated From Stricken Vessel
Attention then turned to the unfolding public health situation at sea. Nebraska state medical officials confirmed Monday that 18 American nationals had been safely evacuated from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius following a confirmed hantavirus outbreak on board.

Trump sought to temper public alarm, characterizing the pathogen as difficult to transmit.

"We've lived with it for years, many years, and we think we're in very good shape. We're very careful and Nebraska has done a fantastic job," he added, noting that the virus was "not easy" to spread.

Senior health officials echoed that measured tone. Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health and acting head of the U.S. Public Health Service, moved swiftly to reassure the public.

"Let me be crystal clear, the risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low," Christine said.

He elaborated on the specific strain involved, stressing that its transmission profile significantly limits the potential for wider contagion.

"The Andes variant of this virus does not spread easily, and it requires prolonged close contact with someone who is already symptomatic," he added.

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