United States' Withdrawal from the World Health Organization (January 2026)

The official completion of the process by which United States of America withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. According to a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exactly one year after the decision to withdraw was made, the United States’ 78-year membership in the WHO ended. The statement confirmed that all American funds transferred to the WHO had been halted and that U.S. personnel working within the organization had been recalled.

The process of withdrawal from the WHO was initiated by a presidential executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term. The process gained formal status upon completion of the legally mandated timeline. U.S. officials stated that the withdrawal had been legally finalized but that it could not be described as “complete and seamless” in practice.

According to data shared by the WHO, the United States’ outstanding debt to the organization exceeded $130 million. With the withdrawal, both mandatory and voluntary contributions from the United States to the WHO were terminated. Official records indicate that the United States had previously provided approximately $111 million annually in assessed dues and $570 million in voluntary contributions, totaling around $680 million in support. These contributions positioned the United States as one of the WHO’s largest financial backers.

The WHO coordinates responses to global health threats such as mpox, Ebola, and polio; provides technical assistance to low-income countries; contributes to the distribution of vaccines and treatments; and publishes guiding principles for hundreds of diseases. Nearly all countries in the world are members of the organization.

The presidential executive order detailed the rationale for withdrawal in full. The document alleged that the WHO had mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic originating in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises; failed to adopt necessary reforms; and could not safeguard its institutional independence from inappropriate political influence by member states. It was also claimed that the WHO had unfairly imposed heavy financial obligations on the United States.

According to the withdrawal statement, the U.S. government did not intend to maintain formal cooperation with the WHO as an “observer” or continue its traditional mechanisms of support to member states. Instead, Washington aimed to develop direct bilateral partnerships with member countries, prioritizing pandemic surveillance and other health initiatives through direct collaborations rather than through an international organization.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus characterized the U.S. withdrawal decision as a significant loss for international health cooperation and called for the decision to be reconsidered. Global health experts also warned that the withdrawal could negatively impact the effectiveness of international disease surveillance networks and other WHO health programs.