President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) is set to deal a significant blow to the agency’s funding and its ability to address global health challenges.
This move comes after a previous attempt during Trump’s first term, which was reversed by former President Joe Biden before it could take effect. The decision to exit the WHO will take one year to implement, beginning from the official notification submitted to the United Nations. Meanwhile, Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy, a vocal critic of the WHO and a skeptic of vaccines, as his new health secretary.
The WHO expressed its regret over the U.S. withdrawal, hoping Washington might reconsider its stance.
The U.S. Role in WHO
The U.S. plays a vital role in supporting the WHO’s efforts to safeguard public health both domestically and globally. The organization highlights U.S. contributions to fighting polio, Ebola, and other health threats like mpox and Marburg in recent years. Moreover, the collaboration between the U.S. and the WHO has been instrumental in the ongoing battle against HIV.
Trump’s executive order stipulates an immediate pause on U.S. financial contributions to the WHO, alongside the recall of U.S. staff and contractors working with the agency. If the withdrawal proceeds, the U.S. would join Liechtenstein as the only other UN member state not to be part of the WHO.
WHO’s Financial Structure
The WHO’s funding comes from its 194 member states, as well as non-governmental organizations and private donors. Originally funded entirely through membership dues, the organization now depends heavily on voluntary contributions, which are earmarked for specific projects.
For the 2022-23 budget cycle, membership dues accounted for just 12% of the WHO’s funding. The pandemic highlighted the need for more stable and flexible financial support, prompting member states to agree on raising membership fees to cover 50% of the WHO’s budget by 2030. Last November, the WHO announced it had raised nearly $4 billion through a new financing mechanism, attracting numerous new donors.
U.S. Contributions
The United States has long been the WHO’s largest contributor, providing $1.3 billion in the 2022-2023 budget cycle—16.3% of the total budget. This was more than any other donor, including Germany, the Gates Foundation, and the European Commission. In contrast, China contributed significantly less at $157 million, prompting Trump to criticize the disparity, claiming that the U.S. was paying far more than China.
A Strategic Move?
Before the official announcement, experts, including Suerie Moon from the Global Health Centre in Geneva, suggested that delaying the withdrawal could provide the U.S. with greater leverage over the WHO. Moon noted that if Washington wanted to extract concessions, using the withdrawal as a negotiating tool could be more effective. While she believes the WHO would survive a significant budget cut, it would undoubtedly be challenging for the agency.
Pandemic Preparedness
In December 2021, WHO member states began drafting an agreement aimed at improving global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. However, repeated delays have meant that the negotiations were not finalized before Trump’s executive order. Under this new directive, the U.S. will halt its participation in these talks, which will now carry no binding obligations for the U.S.
Moon warned that the U.S. withdrawal from the discussions could embolden other countries to pull out, potentially undermining global efforts to improve pandemic response systems.
The outcome of this decision remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the WHO’s future funding and global health initiatives could be significantly affected by the U.S.’s withdrawal.