On Monday, President Donald Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), a decision that has been met with criticism from public health experts and comes on his first day back in the White House.
This move follows Trump’s long-standing criticism of the WHO, which began with a formal withdrawal initiated by his administration in July 2020 amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
However, soon after taking office, President Joe Biden reversed this decision, stopping the exit from the organization responsible for coordinating international responses to health emergencies.
The executive order issued by Trump cites several reasons for the withdrawal, including the WHO’s alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China, its failure to implement necessary reforms, and concerns regarding its independence from the political influences of member states.
Trump expressed his frustration, noting that he previously believed the U.S. was contributing more financially to the organization compared to other nations.
Additionally, during his presidency, he accused the WHO of enabling China to cover up the origins of COVID-19 and facilitating its spread.
Responses from lawmakers have highlighted a bipartisan concern regarding the decision to withdraw from the WHO during a major global health crisis.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to it as “an act of true senselessness,” while former Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who chaired the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee at the time, stated his disagreement with Trump’s decision.
According to Reuters, The move sets a 12-month notice period for the U.S. to leave the United Nations health agency and stop all financial contributions to its work.
The United States is by far the WHO’s biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding.
WHO’s most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion.
The U.S. departure is likely to put at risk programs across the organization, according to several experts both inside and outside the WHO, notably those tackling tuberculosis, the world’s biggest infectious disease killer, as well as HIV/AIDS and other health emergencies.
Trump’s order said the administration would cease negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty while the withdrawal is in progress.
U.S. government personnel working with the WHO will be recalled and reassigned, and the government will look for partners to take over necessary WHO activities, according to the order.
The government will review, rescind, and replace the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy as soon as practicable, the order said.
