, June 26 -- The United States has decided to withdraw its financial support from the global vaccine alliance Gavi, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accusing the organisation of disregarding scientific evidence and eroding public trust.

A pre-recorded video of Kennedy's remarks was played at a Gavi donor conference in Brussels on Wednesday where the alliance is seeking to raise at least $9 billion to fund its operations over the next five years.

Gavi, a partnership that includes the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank, has facilitated the vaccination of over 1 billion children worldwide, preventing an estimated 18 million deaths.

The U.S. has traditionally been one...