President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is set to formally withdraw the United States from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on January 20, 2025, coinciding with his inauguration. This decision, initially initiated during Trump's previous term in 2020, has been reported by The Financial Times.
As the WHO's largest single donor, the U.S. contributed 16% of its funding for the 2022-2023 period. A sudden exit could create a significant void in global health financing and leadership, particularly in managing future public health crises.
Trump's motivation for the withdrawal stems from his criticism of the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its alleged ties to China. In a statement from his administration, Trump claimed, "Unfortunately, the World Health Organization has failed badly... not only in its response to COVID-19 but to other health crises in recent decades." He emphasized the need for the WHO to demonstrate independence from the Chinese Communist Party.
The proposed withdrawal would reverse President Joe Biden's decision to rejoin the WHO, which he enacted on his first day in office in 2021.
Analysts have expressed concerns about the implications of the U.S. withdrawal. Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor at Georgetown University, warned that it would leave a "huge vacuum" in global health financing and leadership, describing the potential decision as "catastrophic" for the organization's ability to respond to public health crises.
Ashish Jha, former COVID response coordinator under Biden, echoed these sentiments, stating that U.S. disengagement would hinder global health surveillance and preparedness for future pandemics. He cautioned, "If you’re not engaged in these institutions, you do not have ears to the ground when the next outbreak happens." While some in Trump's camp advocate for reforming the WHO from within, proponents of complete withdrawal appear to dominate the conversation, suggesting that the exit is likely to proceed.