Washington, 21 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Trump signed the order in the White House in Washington just hours after his inauguration on Monday.

"We're being ripped off by the World Health," he told reporters.

"Everybody rips off the United States and that's it, it's not going to happen anymore."

Trump's order sets in motion the country's exit from the global body in 12 months' time.

The order said the US was withdrawing "due to the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states."

It added that the WHO continued to "demand unfairly onerous payments" from the US. China had 300% of the population of the US, yet contributed 90% less, the order said.

According to the WHO, the US is the top donor and partner to the organization.

The US contributed $1.284 billion during the 2022–2023 biennium, the WHO said.

The US would "with all practicable speed" pause the future transfer of any US government funds, support, or resources to the WHO. The US would also recall and reassign any of its personnel or contractors working with the WHO, the order added.

The WHO did not immediately comment on the move.

In 2020, Trump ordered the US withdrawal from the WHO, accusing the organization of failing in the coronavirus pandemic and being a puppet of China. Joe Biden used his first day in office in 2021 to reverse that decision.