The US officially leaves the World Health Organization

The US has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving the UN agency without one of its largest donors.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order signaling the withdrawal a year ago, after criticizing the organization for being too "China-centric" during the Covid 19 pandemic, writes the BBC.

The US Department of Health and Human Services said it made the decision due to the WHO's alleged "mismanagement" of the pandemic, failure to reform and political influence by member states. 

The WHO has rejected these claims and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the withdrawal was a loss for the US and the world.