The United States (U.S.) is due to officially leave the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, following an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025, despite legal requirements to clear outstanding dues and growing concerns over the impact on U.S. and global health.
The exit comes after Trump gave formal notice on his first day in office in 2025, triggering a one-year withdrawal process under U.S. law.
That law also requires Washington to pay about $260 million in unpaid fees before leaving, a condition the WHO says has not been met.
On Thursday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson accused the global health body of failing to properly manage and share critical information.
“The WHO’s failure to contain, manage and share information had cost the U.S. trillions of dollars and the president had exercised his authority to pause the future transfer of any U.S. government funds, support, or resources to the WHO,” the spokesperson said.
“The American people have paid more than enough to this organization and this economic hit is beyond a down payment on any financial obligations to the organization,” the spokesperson added in an email.
Over the past year, global health experts and international leaders have urged the U.S. to rethink its decision, including WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“I hope the U.S. will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” he told reporters earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a lose for the United States, and it’s a lose for the rest of the world.”
The WHO said the U.S. has yet to pay its fees for 2024 and 2025. Member states are expected to discuss the issue at the organization’s executive board meeting in February, according to a WHO spokesperson.
Legal experts have also raised concerns about the move.
“This is a clear violation of U.S. law,” said Lawrence Gostin, founding director of the O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law at Georgetown University. “But Trump is highly likely to get away with it.”
Speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates said he does not expect the U.S. to reverse its decision soon.
“I don’t think the U.S. will be coming back to WHO in the near future,” he said. “The world needs the World Health Organization.”
The U.S. withdrawal has triggered a financial crisis for the WHO, forcing the agency to cut its management team by half and reduce spending across departments. Washington has traditionally been the WHO’s largest donor, providing about 18% of its total funding.
According to Reuters, the organization has also announced plans to cut about a quarter of its workforce by mid-year.
Although the WHO said it has continued to share information with U.S. authorities over the past year, it remains unclear how cooperation will continue after the withdrawal.
Health experts warn that the decision could weaken global disease monitoring and response systems.
“The U.S. withdrawal from WHO could weaken the systems and collaborations the world relies on to detect, prevent, and respond to health threats,” said Kelly Henning, public health program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies.
As the U.S. formally exits the agency, uncertainty remains over how the move will affect international health cooperation and America’s role in future global health emergencies.
(Reuters)
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