The White House has formally notified the United Nations that it is pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization, despite the surging number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Voice of America (VOA) reported on July 7.

President Donald Trump froze U.S. funding for the WHO in April and a month later announced his intentions to drop out. He accused the organization of having a pro-China bias in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak and demanded reforms.

“We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act.  Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating the relationship,” Trump said in May.

Under WHO rules, any country leaving the organization must give one year’s notice.  If Trump loses the November election, the next president could decide to remain, according to VOA. 

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said if he is elected in November, he will rejoin the WHO “on my first day as president … and restore our leadership on the world stage.”  Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health, Biden said.

The United States leads the world with the most COVID-19 cases – nearly 3 million and close to 131,000 deaths.

U.S. health experts call the president’s decision to turn his back on the WHO shortsighted and destructive of decades of cooperation in fighting all diseases.

United Nations Foundation President Elizabeth Cousens said the World Health Organization is the only body capable of coordinating a global response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States is a charter member of the WHO, which was founded in 1948, and has been its biggest donor.