Washington, D.C. — The United States is set to formally withdraw from the World Health Organization on January 22, completing a year-long exit process triggered by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump shortly after returning to office.
The withdrawal leaves the WHO facing an estimated $278 million in unpaid U.S. dues for the 2024–2025 period, raising legal and diplomatic questions while intensifying a growing budget crisis for the global health agency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization hopes Washington will reconsider, warning the decision represents a loss for both the United States and global public health efforts.
Trump has framed the move primarily as a cost-cutting measure, arguing the U.S. pays a disproportionate share compared with countries such as China. His executive order also criticized the WHO’s handling of COVID-19 and accused the agency of failing to remain independent from political pressure by member states. The administration has indicated the withdrawal aligns with a broader effort to reduce U.S. participation in international and United Nations-affiliated organizations.
Public health experts have strongly criticized the decision, warning it could weaken global disease surveillance, outbreak response, and vaccine coordination. The U.S. has historically been one of the WHO’s largest contributors, providing hundreds of millions of dollars annually as well as technical expertise through federal health agencies. Specialists caution that losing U.S. engagement could hinder efforts to combat polio, Ebola, and emerging viral threats, while reducing America’s influence over global health standards and early-warning systems.
The WHO emphasized that decades of cooperation with the U.S. helped eradicate smallpox and bring polio close to elimination, and said reform efforts within the agency are ongoing.
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