Effective January 22, 2026, the U.S. ended its WHO membership per a 2025 executive order, with funding terminated and personnel recalled.
Trump administration cited WHO's COVID-19 response failures, lack of reforms, political biases, and disproportionate U.S. financial burden compared to other nations like China.
Experts warn of risks to disease tracking, vaccine matching, and international health programs; WHO faces budget crisis and potential staff cuts amid ongoing debt disputes.
The United States officially completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), ending 78 years of membership in the UN agency responsible for global health coordination. The move fulfills an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office (January 20, 2025), citing the WHO's alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to implement reforms, inappropriate political influence from certain member states, and unfair funding burdens on the U.S.
The Trump administration announced the termination through a joint statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., emphasizing that all U.S. funding to WHO has been halted and all American personnel and contractors recalled from WHO headquarters in Geneva and global offices. The U.S. will now pursue direct bilateral partnerships with countries and other entities for disease surveillance and health initiatives, with limited coordination with WHO only to facilitate the exit process.
The withdrawal has sparked widespread concern among public health experts, who warn it could weaken global responses to outbreaks, including flu surveillance, vaccine development, polio eradication, and maternal-child health programs. The Infectious Diseases Society of America described the decision as "shortsighted and misguided" and "scientifically reckless." The WHO, facing a significant budget shortfall from the loss of the U.S.'s contributions (previously about 20% of its funding), has begun cost-cutting measures. Disputes persist over unpaid U.S. dues (estimated at $130–278 million for recent years), with some officials arguing the exit is incomplete until settled, though the U.S. disputes this requirement.
This marks the second time the Trump administration has pursued withdrawal from WHO; a similar process in 2020 was reversed by President Biden in 2021
