Bhubaneswar, July 8 -- Washington: The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization, officials said, breaking off ties with the global health body amid the expanding coronavirus pandemic.

The US has accused the WHO of siding with China on the outbreak of the virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, alleging the health body misled the world resulting in deaths of over half a million people globally, including over 130,000 in America.

In April, the US stopped funding to WHO as the Trump administration reviewed the ties. A month later, President Donald Trump announced the US was terminating the relationship. The US is the larg...