Washington, D.C.— After exactly one year of legal notice, the United States officially exited the World Health Organization on Thursday, January 22, 2026, ending a relationship that dates back decades and marking a dramatic shift in American global health policy. President Donald Trump initiated the withdrawal on his first day in office in 2025, citing the WHO's alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to implement reforms, and susceptibility to political influence.
The move has triggered alarm bells among global health experts and US allies, who warn that America has now isolated itself at a critical moment when pandemic preparedness and international collaboration are more vital than ever.
Key Facts
• Trump signed the executive order withdrawing from WHO on January 20, 2025, and Thursday marks the completion of the mandatory one-year notice period required under US law
• The United States, which contributes the highest assessed fees of any WHO member nation, has not yet paid outstanding dues totaling approximately $260 million for 2024 and 2025
• The WHO's annual budget for 2026-2027 has been slashed to $4.2 billion—down from its original goal of $5.3 billion—forcing member countries to shoulder a 20 percent increase in membership fees to compensate for the American funding gap
The formal exit becomes final on this date, though the WHO has not yet officially acknowledged the United States' departure status, saying that member states must make that determination at an upcoming February executive board meeting. The Trump administration justified the withdrawal by claiming the WHO cost the US economy between $14 trillion and $16 trillion through its pandemic response failures.
However, the executive order also explicitly halts all future transfers of US government funds, support, and resources to the organization.
Global health experts have responded with serious concern about America's capacity to detect and respond to emerging infectious disease threats. Beth Cameron, a professor at Brown University's School of Public Health and former Biden administration official, warns that the US will now receive less infectious disease intelligence during future outbreaks and will have diminished influence over how international response efforts are structured.
She emphasizes that the consequences extend beyond public health, affecting national security itself.
The withdrawal represents a significant victory for Trump's domestic agenda focused on reducing international engagement and questioning the value of multilateral institutions. However, critics argue that the decision strengthens rival nations like China and Russia, who can now expand their influence within the WHO and position themselves as more constructive participants in global health governance.
The move also coincides with aggressive cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the dismantling of USAID.
Historically, Trump first attempted to withdraw the US from WHO in 2020, but President Joe Biden reversed that decision immediately upon taking office in 2021. This second withdrawal attempt has proven more durable, with the full legal process now complete despite warnings from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that the world will become less safe.
The organization is already implementing defensive measures, including significant staff reductions.
The funding crisis at WHO has forced difficult trade-offs globally, with treatment services for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis in low-income countries already experiencing delays. These programs now operate with reduced capacity, and health officials warn that emergency response capabilities have been weakened during a period of emerging disease threats.
The fragmentation of international health coordination mirrors the challenges experienced during the early, chaotic COVID-19 response.
Looking ahead, the WHO executive board will formally address America's status in February, though the outcome appears predetermined. The United States must still technically pay its outstanding fees before the withdrawal is fully compliant with international law, creating an unresolved legal and diplomatic tension.
Meanwhile, global health security experts continue to emphasize that infectious diseases do not respect borders and that the absence of American coordination and funding will ultimately damage American interests alongside international ones.
The complete exit raises fundamental questions about America's role in shaping international health policy and pandemic preparedness frameworks for the next decade. Countries and institutions must now adapt to a world in which the United States is no longer a formal participant in the primary global health coordination mechanism.
Public health officials stress that the costs of this decision will become apparent only when the next major infectious disease crisis emerges.
Do You Know?
The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has historically been its largest financial contributor, making this withdrawal extraordinary in both scope and symbolism. During the Trump administration's first withdrawal attempt in 2020, other countries actually stepped in to increase their funding for the organization—but this time, global economic pressures from war, aid reductions, and defense spending increases mean that no nation is positioned to fill the $260 million annual funding gap left by American withdrawal.
Key Terms
• Assessed Contributions: Annual fees that WHO member countries pay based on their nation's GDP and capacity to pay; the United States has historically paid the largest assessed contribution of any member state
• Executive Order: A direct presidential command that initiates government action without requiring congressional approval; Trump used this mechanism to formally notify the UN of the US intention to withdraw from WHO
• Multilateral Institution: An international organization involving multiple countries working together toward shared goals, such as pandemic preparedness; critics argue that withdrawing from such institutions weakens US influence
• Pandemic Preparedness: The systems, resources, and coordination frameworks that countries maintain to detect, prevent, and respond to disease outbreaks before they spread globally
• WHO Member States: The 194 countries that formally belong to the World Health Organization and participate in setting policy through the World Health Assembly
Image from Wikimedia Commons