UNITED NATIONS, United States, Sept 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rejected a United Nations political declaration on non-communicable diseases on Thursday, saying it "pushes destructive gender ideology" while ignoring the most pressing health issues.

The World Health Organization has said the "new, ambitious and achievable" declaration will lay out a roadmap for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing towards 2030 and beyond.

The declaration is expected to secure approval next month from a majority of the WHO's 193 member states despite objections from the United States.

Kennedy said at a high-level meeting on Thursday that the declaration "exceeds the UN's proper role while ignoring the most pressing health issues."

"We cannot accept language that pushes destructive gender ideology. Neither can we accept claims of a constitutional or international right to abortion," Kennedy said.

The 15-page text, seen by AFP, mentions neither abortion rights nor gender ideology.

Kennedy said the United States "will walk away from the declaration, but we will never walk away from the world or our commitment to end chronic diseases."

US President Donald Trump signed an order near the start of his second term for the United States to withdraw from the WHO, which he has criticized for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic.

Since taking office, Kennedy has restricted who can receive Covid-19 shots, cut off federal research grants for the mRNA technology credited with saving millions of lives, and announced new research on debunked claims linking vaccines to autism.

Trump said on Monday that pregnant women should "tough it out" and avoid the painkiller Tylenol due to an unproven link to autism and also urged major changes to the standard vaccines administered to babies.

The WHO said in response that neither Tylenol nor vaccines has been shown to cause autism.