The United States will officially leave the World Health Organization (WHO), President Donald Trump announced Monday, citing dissatisfaction with the agency’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump accused the WHO of operating under “inappropriate political influence” from member states, particularly China, and imposing “unfairly onerous payments” on the U.S., which he said were disproportionate compared to contributions from other nations.
“World Health ripped us off. Everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said while signing an executive order confirming the withdrawal shortly after his inauguration to a second term.
The WHO expressed regret over the announcement, which will see its largest donor nation exit. “We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarević said Tuesday in Geneva.
The decision begins a 12-month notice period for the U.S. to terminate its membership and halt all financial contributions. The United States, which accounted for roughly 18% of the WHO’s funding, has been its largest donor. The agency’s current two-year budget for 2024-2025 is $6.8 billion.
The U.S. departure could jeopardize key WHO initiatives, including programs targeting tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest infectious disease, as well as HIV/AIDS and other health emergencies, experts say.
Under Trump’s directive, the administration will also suspend negotiations on the WHO’s pandemic treaty while the withdrawal process is underway. U.S. personnel working with the organization will be reassigned, and efforts will be made to identify partners to assume critical activities. Additionally, the administration will review and replace the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy, according to the order.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHO’s second-largest donor, pledged to continue its support. CEO Mark Suzman said on X that the foundation would advocate for strengthening, not weakening, the organization. Germany, the third-largest donor, which contributes about 3% of the WHO’s budget, expressed concern. Germany’s health minister said Tuesday that Berlin hopes to dissuade Trump from finalizing the decision.
China’s foreign ministry criticized the move, emphasizing the WHO’s role in global health governance. “China will continue to support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities and deepen international public health cooperation,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Tuesday.
Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO aligns with his previous efforts to leave the agency during his first term in 2020, accusing it of aiding China in concealing COVID-19’s origins. The WHO has denied the claims and continues to push for data from Beijing to determine whether the virus originated from human-animal interaction or a laboratory incident.
Under U.S. law, leaving the WHO requires a one-year notice period and the payment of any outstanding fees. In 2020, then-President Joe Biden halted the withdrawal process after taking office.
