The US President has threatened to cut off funding to the World Health Organisation.

Donal Trump accused the organisation of “missing the call” on the COVID-19 pandemic and suggesting it has been to “China-centric” in its response.

The WHO has consistently praised China for its response to the outbreak in the city of Wuhan last December - despite claims the country's official death toll does not reflect the true number of fatalities it has seen.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Trump tweeted: "The WHO really blew it.”

“For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China-centric. We will be giving that a good look.

“Fortunately, I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?”

The W.H.O. really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2020

Beijing is also a major financial contributor to the UN health agency – prompting critics to claim that it lacks the independence it needs to fulfil its role.

During his daily White House press briefing, President Trump said he was putting a hold on US funding but later backtracked and said he would "strongly consider" such a move.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric rejected the US president’s claims, insisting the WHO has “done tremendous work on COVID-19.”

“In supporting countries with millions of pieces of equipment being shipped out, on helping countries with training, on providing global guidelines - WHO is showing the strength of the international health system,” he said.

File photo of Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (L), WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom (C) and Dr Sylvie Briand, Director of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases at the WHO (R), 19-02-2020. Image: Chen Junxia/Xinhua News Agency/PA Images

President Trump has been strongly criticised for his own handling of the outbreak – as the US comes to terms with the highest number of cases anywhere in the world.

The WHO declared COVID-19 a global public health emergency on January 30^th – almost a month before President Trump tweeted: “the coronavirus is very much under control in the USA.”

The WHO declaration also came 43 days before President Trump declared a national emergency in the US.

Nearly 13,000 COVID-19 patients have now died in the US and there are nearly 400,000 confirmed infections.