US Set to Exit World Health Organisation

WASHINGTON, (Reuters): The United States is due to officially withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday, a move that global health experts warn will harm both US and international health systems and may violate US law. President Donald Trump announced the decision on his first day in office in 2025 through an executive order.

Under US law, Washington is required to provide one year’s notice and settle all outstanding financial obligations before leaving the UN health agency. However, the WHO says the United States has not yet paid approximately $260 million in fees owed for 2024 and 2025.

A US State Department spokesperson said on Thursday that the WHO had failed to properly contain, manage and share information during global health crises, costing the United States trillions of dollars. The spokesperson added that President Trump had exercised his authority to halt any future transfer of US government funds or resources to the organisation.

“The American people have paid more than enough to this organisation, and this economic impact goes well beyond a down payment on any financial obligations,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Rejoining Unlikely in Near Term

Over the past year, health experts and international leaders have urged Washington to reconsider. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated earlier this month that US withdrawal would be damaging.

“Withdrawing from WHO is a loss for the United States and a loss for the world,” he told reporters. Legal experts have questioned the legality of the move. Lawrence Gostin, founding director of Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law, said the withdrawal clearly violates US law but added that President Trump is “highly likely to get away with it.”

Speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates said he did not expect the US to return to the WHO anytime soon, despite efforts to advocate for re-engagement.“The world needs the World Health Organisation,” said Gates, whose foundation is a major supporter of global health initiatives.

Impact on WHO and Global Health

The US exit has triggered a severe budget crisis at the WHO. The agency has already halved its senior management team, scaled back programmes and announced plans to cut approximately 25% of its workforce by mid-year. The United States has historically been the WHO’s largest donor, contributing about 18% of its total funding.While the WHO said it has continued to share information and coordinate with US authorities over the past year, it remains unclear how cooperation will function after the withdrawal.

Public health experts warn the consequences could be far-reaching.“The US withdrawal from WHO could weaken the systems and partnerships the world depends on to detect, prevent and respond to global health threats,” said Kelly Henning, public health programme lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies.