Argentina’s president has ordered the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization due to “profound differences” with the U.N. agency, a presidential spokesperson said.

The loss of another [after the US] member country will further fracture cooperation in global health, though Argentina was expected to provide only about USD 8 million to WHO for the agency’s estimated USD 6.9 billion 2024-2025 budget.

Argentina’s decision is based on “profound differences in health management, especially during the (COVID-19) pandemic,” spokesperson Manuel Adorni told a news conference in Buenos Aires. He said WHO guidelines at the time led to the largest shutdown “in the history of mankind”.