• The United States became the first nation to formally exit the World Health Organization since its founding in 1948
• All U.S. funding has been terminated and personnel recalled from Geneva headquarters and offices worldwide
• Public health experts warn the withdrawal could compromise American security and global disease surveillance

WASHINGTON (TDR) — The United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization on January 22, 2026, completing a one-year process initiated by President Donald Trump through Executive Order 14155. The move makes America the first country to exit the global health agency since its establishment 78 years ago, terminating decades of U.S. leadership in international public health coordination.

The Department of Health and Human Services and State Department announced the withdrawal's completion, citing what officials called the WHO's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to implement reforms, and inability to demonstrate independence from political influence—particularly from China. The administration has ceased all U.S. government funding to the organization, recalled all personnel and contractors, and discontinued hundreds of engagements with WHO programs.

"The WHO has become mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international power politics," said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a joint statement with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "While the United States has provided the lion's share of the organization's funding historically, other countries such as China have exerted undue influence over its operations in ways that serve their own interests."

Financial Fallout and Unpaid Obligations

The withdrawal leaves significant financial questions unresolved. The United States historically contributed approximately 18% of WHO's operational budget, with 2024-2025 commitments totaling $706 million—including $264 million in assessed contributions and $442 million in voluntary donations. However, the U.S. has failed to pay membership dues for both 2024 and 2025, leaving the Geneva-based organization with an estimated $278 million debt.

WHO officials maintain that withdrawal cannot be considered complete until financial obligations are met, setting up potential diplomatic friction. The organization's principal legal officer Steven Solomon indicated the matter will be discussed at the upcoming Executive Board meeting in February, with guidance from member states expected by May's World Health Assembly.

"The United States will not be making any payments to the WHO before our withdrawal," the State Department told NPR this week. "The cost born by the U.S. taxpayer and U.S. economy after the WHO's failure during the Covid pandemic—and since—has been too high as it is."

Public Health Experts Warn of Security Risks

The withdrawal has drawn sharp criticism from infectious disease specialists and global health experts who warn it could compromise American security. The Infectious Diseases Society of America called the move "shortsighted and misguided," emphasizing that global cooperation is essential because infectious diseases do not respect national borders.

"By withdrawing from WHO, the U.S. will no longer participate in the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, the vital platform for monitoring flu cases and sharing data and viral samples used to develop yearly flu vaccines," said Dr. Ronald Nahass, IDSA president. "This will severely hamper efforts to match vaccines to circulating strains of flu."

The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), established in 1952, comprises institutions in 131 member states and provides the foundation for annual flu vaccine development. U.S. withdrawal means American scientists lose their seat at the table where vaccine composition decisions are made, potentially delaying access to critical viral sequence data.

"Withdrawing from the World Health Organization is scientifically reckless," Nahass added. "It fails to acknowledge the fundamental natural history of infectious diseases. Global cooperation is not a luxury; it is a biological necessity."

Historical Context and Previous Attempts

This marks the second time Trump has sought to exit the WHO. During his first term, he initiated withdrawal procedures in 2020 over similar concerns about the organization's COVID-19 response and alleged deference to China. President Joe Biden reversed that decision on his first day in office in January 2021, restoring U.S. membership and funding.

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The current withdrawal follows a pattern of Trump administration skepticism toward multilateral institutions. Administration officials argue that bilateral agreements with individual countries can replace WHO coordination, though specifics remain vague. HHS maintains over 2,000 staff in 63 countries and claims existing agreements will sustain global health engagement.

"We are definitely walking away from organizations like the WHO," a senior HHS official said during Thursday's press briefing. "A promise made and a promise kept."

Global Impact and Leadership Void

The withdrawal creates a leadership vacuum that other nations are already moving to fill. China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Russia have increased their influence within WHO as U.S. engagement waned over the past year. The organization has been forced to cut 22% of its staff and leave positions unfilled to manage the budget crisis.

"This is the most ruinous presidential decision in my lifetime," said Dr. Lawrence Gostin, a global health law expert at Georgetown University. "Not being a member of WHO is deeply harmful to our national self-interests and security. We will not have rapid and full access to the epidemiological data, virus samples, and genomic sequencing data to create vaccines and treatments."

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly urged the U.S. to reconsider, calling the withdrawal a "lose-lose" proposition. The U.S. flag continues flying outside WHO headquarters in Geneva—a deliberate signal, observers note, that the organization remains open to American re-engagement.

"The US loses, and the rest of the world, we know for sure, loses," Tedros said last spring. "It also makes the U.S. unsafe and the rest of the world unsafe. It's not really the right decision."

What Comes Next

The administration has outlined plans for an America First Global Health program, emphasizing bilateral partnerships over multilateral coordination. However, critics note that such arrangements cannot replicate the comprehensive disease surveillance networks that WHO provides, particularly in countries where the U.S. lacks diplomatic presence.

With the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy virtually vacant and the CDC subjected to successive rounds of job cuts, public health experts worry the U.S. is dismantling its global health infrastructure at a precarious moment. The next pandemic, they warn, may find America isolated and unprepared.

"When that will bite us in the ass, it's impossible to predict. But there is a 100% certainty that it will bite us in the ass," said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and former USAID crisis response leader. "If we thought Covid went badly in the United States, we have no idea what we're in for."

Does reclaiming sovereignty through WHO withdrawal strengthen American security, or does it leave the nation vulnerable to the next global health crisis?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from HHS fact sheets on the withdrawal, official statements by the Department of Health and Human Services and State Department, reporting by CNN, ABC News, STAT News, and TIME, coverage by CIDRAP and Health Policy Watch, analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, and official data from the World Health Organization.

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