Health and Me

Ishita Roy

US Withdraws From WHO, What It Means For The World

The United States under President Donald Trump’s administration has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (<span>WHO</span>). The US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the news on Thursday. This has been a longstanding goal of President Trump. 

During Trump’s first term, he tried to leave WHO, then gave a notice through an executive order on the first day of his second term. It noted that the US would leave the organization. As per law, the US must give WHO a one-year notice and pay all outstanding fees before its departure. This means the US still owes WHO roughly $260 million. However, legal experts said that US is unlikely to pay up and WHO will have little recourse. 

Dr. Lawrence Gostin, an expert on global health law and public health at Georgetown University told CNN, “As a matter of law, it is very clear that the United States cannot officially withdraw from WHO unless it pays its outstanding financial obligations. But WHO has no power to force the US to pay what it owes.”

WHO could pass a resolution saying that US cannot withdraw until it pays, however, it won’t risk creating any further tension that there already is. 

The HHS on Thursday confirmed that all US government funding to WHO has been terminated and all personnel and contractors assigned or embedded within the organization have been recalled. It also said the US had ceased official participation in WHO-sponsored committees, leadership bodies, governance structures and technical working groups. 

<h2>What the US Exit From WHO Means for the World</h2>

The US government has said it is moving ahead with its decision to exit the World Health Organization (WHO), arguing that the country has not received enough value for the money, staff, and support it has given to the global health body over the years.

Senior officials from HHS said the WHO acted against US interests, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. They accused the organization of delaying the declaration of a global public health emergency and of praising China’s early response despite signs of underreporting, information suppression, and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission.

HHS also criticized the WHO for being slow to acknowledge airborne spread of Covid-19 and for downplaying the role of people without symptoms in spreading the virus. According to officials, these missteps cost the world precious time as the virus spread rapidly.

While the US has been the WHO’s largest funder, officials pointed out that no American has ever served as the organization’s director-general. “A promise made and a promise kept,” one senior official said, adding that US health policies should not be shaped by “unaccountable foreign bureaucrats.”

That said, the administration has not completely ruled out cooperation with the WHO. When asked whether the US would take part in an upcoming WHO meeting on next year’s flu vaccine composition, officials said discussions are still ongoing.

The government has insisted that leaving the WHO does not mean stepping away from global health leadership. Instead, the US plans to work directly with individual countries, health ministries, non-governmental organizations, and religious groups on disease surveillance and data sharing. This effort is expected to be led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Global Health Center. Officials have promised more announcements on this strategy in the coming months.

However, many public health experts are deeply concerned. Some warn that replacing the WHO with country-by-country agreements will create a fragmented system that lacks coordination and adequate funding. Former CDC officials note that the CDC has staff in about 60 countries, far fewer than the global reach of the WHO.

Critics say the move could leave both the US and the world vulnerable to future outbreaks. Experts argue that infectious diseases do not respect borders and that global cooperation is essential for early detection, data sharing, and rapid response.

Several health leaders have called the decision dangerous and short-sighted, warning that without WHO membership, the US could lose timely access to critical data, virus samples, and genomic information needed to develop vaccines and treatments. WHO’s director-general has described the US withdrawal as a “lose-lose” situation, saying both America and the rest of the world stand to suffer.

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The United States under President Donald Trump’s administration has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). The US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the news on Thursday. This has been a longstanding goal of President Trump. Trump’s Goal To Exit From WHODuring Trump’s first term, he tried to leave WHO, then gave a notice through an executive order on the first day of his second term. It noted that the US would leave the organization. As per law, the US must give WHO a one-year notice and pay all outstanding fees before its departure. This means the US still owes WHO roughly $260 million. However, legal experts said that US is unlikely to pay up and WHO will have little recourse. Dr. Lawrence Gostin, an expert on global health law and public health at Georgetown University told CNN, “As a matter of law, it is very clear that the United States cannot officially withdraw from WHO unless it pays its outstanding financial obligations. But WHO has no power to force the US to pay what it owes.”WHO could pass a resolution saying that US cannot withdraw until it pays, however, it won’t risk creating any further tension that there already is. The HHS on Thursday confirmed that all US government funding to WHO has been terminated and all personnel and contractors assigned or embedded within the organization have been recalled. It also said the US had ceased official participation in WHO-sponsored committees, leadership bodies, governance structures and technical working groups. What the US Exit From WHO Means for the WorldThe US government has said it is moving ahead with its decision to exit the World Health Organization (WHO), arguing that the country has not received enough value for the money, staff, and support it has given to the global health body over the years.Senior officials from HHS said the WHO acted against US interests, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. They accused the organization of delaying the declaration of a global public health emergency and of praising China’s early response despite signs of underreporting, information suppression, and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission.HHS also criticized the WHO for being slow to acknowledge airborne spread of Covid-19 and for downplaying the role of people without symptoms in spreading the virus. According to officials, these missteps cost the world precious time as the virus spread rapidly.While the US has been the WHO’s largest funder, officials pointed out that no American has ever served as the organization’s director-general. “A promise made and a promise kept,” one senior official said, adding that US health policies should not be shaped by “unaccountable foreign bureaucrats.”That said, the administration has not completely ruled out cooperation with the WHO. When asked whether the US would take part in an upcoming WHO meeting on next year’s flu vaccine composition, officials said discussions are still ongoing.The government has insisted that leaving the WHO does not mean stepping away from global health leadership. Instead, the US plans to work directly with individual countries, health ministries, non-governmental organizations, and religious groups on disease surveillance and data sharing. This effort is expected to be led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Global Health Center. Officials have promised more announcements on this strategy in the coming months.However, many public health experts are deeply concerned. Some warn that replacing the WHO with country-by-country agreements will create a fragmented system that lacks coordination and adequate funding. Former CDC officials note that the CDC has staff in about 60 countries, far fewer than the global reach of the WHO.Critics say the move could leave both the US and the world vulnerable to future outbreaks. Experts argue that infectious diseases do not respect borders and that global cooperation is essential for early detection, data sharing, and rapid response.Several health leaders have called the decision dangerous and short-sighted, warning that without WHO membership, the US could lose timely access to critical data, virus samples, and genomic information needed to develop vaccines and treatments. WHO’s director-general has described the US withdrawal as a “lose-lose” situation, saying both America and the rest of the world stand to suffer.