Kamran Khan 
On social media, a news clipping from The Economic Times with the headline “WHO has lost its independence, Indian govt should exit global health body” has gone viral. While sharing the news, users wrote: “Just when you think your day couldn’t get better… India suggests EXITING the W.H.O.”
Fact Check
During the investigation, DFRAC found the claim to be false. We located the full article of the viral news clipping, which was published in The Economic Times on December 2, 2023. The article states: “Eminent British-Indian cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra has alleged that the World Health Organization (WHO) has completely lost its independence and suggested that the Indian government should ignore its advice on various issues and exit the global health body. Talking to a news agency, Malhotra, who gave a lecture at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on ‘The Corporate Capture of Medicine and Public Health,’ also claimed that regulators do not independently evaluate data related to drugs.”
Furthermore, we also found a recent report from The Times of India published on January 30, 2025, which states, “Health Minister JP Nadda has said the U.S. announcing its exit from the WHO will not impact the ongoing programs being implemented in India in partnership with the UN agency.”
Conclusion
It is evident from DFRAC’s fact-check that the viral news clipping represents the views of a British-Indian cardiologist regarding India’s membership in the World Health Organization, not an official statement or order from the Indian government. Therefore, the claim made by social media users is misleading.
Siddharth Urmil 
