U.S. Withdraws From the World Health Organization

Sonia Samant

The United States has officially announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

U.S. officials were closely involved in the creation of the WHO, and were once one of its biggest donors. However, in the past year, President Trump declared the U.S.’s intent in withdrawing from WHO, citing mismanagement of COVID-19, alongside with claims about the agency’s “lack of reforms” and “inappropriate political influence”. The U.S. also owes a sum of around $280 million to the WHO, due to not paying its dues from 2024 to 2025.

Now, with the U.S. having exited, experts fear the consequences. Withdrawing from the WHO means that the United States is no longer participating in global flu information-sharing, is uninvolved with a multitude of global health initiatives such as child and maternal care programs, polio eradication, tracking influenza strains and no longer contributes to research that can identify global health threats. The U.S. no longer has direct access to information within the WHO, meaning that if a public health crisis were to erupt, the U.S. would be at high risk. 

The administration claims to have public health relationships in order to acquire that very information, but there has been no direct data to back this claim.

Additionally, the U.S.’s withdrawal will lead to an increased weakening of global health programs. The WHO’s budget is cut, and they are accommodating for that. This means that there are fewer resources that can support low and middle income countries, and fewer within the WHO’s workforce to support those who need it.