Argentina will pull out of the World Health Organisation, marking President Javier Milei's latest move to distance the country from international institutions that his administration views as ideologically opposed to its agenda.

The widely-anticipated decision was announced on February 5 by presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni at the Casa Rosada, who cited "deep differences" over pandemic management. Adorni particularly criticised the WHO's role during what he called "the longest lockdown in the history of humanity" under former president Alberto Fernández.

The withdrawal mirrors a similar move by Donald Trump in the US, where the returning president announced his country's exit from the UN agency last month. Milei's right-wing administration has indicated this may be part of a broader withdrawal from international organisations that it considers "strongholds of socialist ideas".

Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, along with Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Deregulation Minister Federico Sturzenegger, has been tasked with examining the implications of Argentina's planned departure from various international bodies. The government maintains that WHO membership costs Argentina approximately $10mn annually, with additional expenses for representatives' salaries and travel.

The WHO is already grappling with budget pressures following the US withdrawal. At the Executive Board meeting on February 3, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus proposed reducing the organisation's 2026-2027 budget from $7.47bn to approximately $7.05bn. The US had previously contributed more than 10 per cent of the WHO's total budget.

Sources close to the president cited by La Nacion revealed that Tedros had attempted to arrange meetings with both Milei and his sister Karina, who serves as general secretary of the presidency, but was turned down on both occasions. The first attempt came during a corridor encounter at the G20 summit last November.

Adorni insisted the withdrawal would not result in financial losses for Argentina, instead arguing it would provide "greater flexibility to implement policies" aligned with national interests. The spokesman added that Argentina would not "allow an international organisation to interfere in our sovereignty".

Buenos Aires is also mulling withdrawal from other international agreements, including the Paris climate accord. The president's stance on international organisations appears to align with views expressed in his 2020 book "Pandemonics", where he described Covid-19 lockdowns as a "crime against humanity".

The self-styled “anarcho-libertarian” leader recently shared social media posts by controversial right-wing pundits who claimed global warming is a “dishonest scam” and that scientific records show no evidence of a climate crisis.

The WHO departure follows Argentina's earlier refusal to sign the organisation's pandemic protocol in July 2023. The UN agency, which coordinates global responses to health threats including monkeypox, Ebola and polio, also provides technical assistance to developing nations and helps distribute vaccines and treatments.