The United States will withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), former President Donald Trump announced Monday, citing the agency’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and what he described as undue political influence from member states. The decision follows Trump’s criticism that the WHO required disproportionate financial contributions from the U.S. while other nations, including China, contributed far less.
“The World Health Organization ripped us off. Everyone rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said during the signing of an executive order formalizing the move, shortly after his second inauguration.
The withdrawal process, which requires a 12-month notice and the settlement of outstanding financial obligations, means the U.S. will halt all contributions to the WHO, which previously accounted for about 18% of the agency’s funding. Programs addressing global health challenges such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other emergencies could face significant setbacks, experts warn.
The WHO, which has a two-year budget of $6.8 billion for 2024-2025, has not yet commented on the announcement. The U.S. departure also halts negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty, a global framework for managing health crises.
This decision echoes Trump’s earlier attempt to leave the WHO during his first term in 2020, citing the agency’s alleged failure to hold China accountable for its role in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. President Joe Biden reversed the withdrawal upon taking office in 2021, but Trump has now reinstated the action.
The move places increased financial pressure on other major WHO donors, including Germany, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the European Commission.
