Big Pharma Influence, Corruption and Rape Allegations: The Hidden Scandals of the WHO's History
© AP Photo / Anja Niedringhaus
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US president-elect Donald Trump plans to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the first day of his second term.
That follows Trump’s 2020 decision to leave over unproven claims of Chinese control and his blaming of China for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move could save $850 million in annual contributions. The incoming Trump government is also concerned with the WHO's lack of transparency, corruption and pay-to-play deals.
Notable WHO Scandals Include:
Widely-criticised COVID-19 lockdown measures, mask mandates and vaccination campaigns, which some argued favored Big Pharma
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was investigated by the Ethiopian government for embezzling public funds and rigging tenders
Ghebreyesus has ties to the Bill and Hillary Clinton Foundation’s health initiatives, criticized by some investigators for alleged fraud
In 2021, 21 WHO staff members were accused of sexual abuse during the response to the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The WHO faced scrutiny in 2017 for spending $200 million annually on luxury travel while allocating only $71 million to combat AIDS and hepatitis
Critics have raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the WHO's use of "assessed contributions" based on member states' GDP
In 2011, the WHO was criticized for its handling of the H1N1 flu pandemic, with accusations it caused unnecessary panic and overspent on control measures
In 2010, the British Medical Journal reported that key WHO advisers had ties to Big Pharma, which could profit from their decisions
