The United States has officially terminated its membership of the World Health Organisation (WHO), citing inefficiencies, mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and “failures” inflicted upon the American people.
America’s withdrawal from the global health body comes exactly a year after US President Donald Trump announced that he was ending the country’s 78-year commitment to the agency, and initiated the process by signing an executive order on his first day in office on January 20, 2025.
In a joint statement issued by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, on Thursday, it was stated that going forward, the US engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate its withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.
“All US funding for, and staffing of, WHO initiatives has ceased. The United States will continue to lead the world in public health, saving millions of lives and protecting Americans at home by preventing infectious disease threats from reaching our shores while advancing global health security through direct, bilateral, and results-driven partnerships. We will continue to work with countries and trusted health institutions to share best practices, strengthen preparedness, and protect our communities through a more focused, transparent, and effective model which delivers real outcomes rather than the bloated and inefficient bureaucracy of the WHO,” the statement read.
It also said that the US had freed itself from WHO’s constraints, and that the action responds to the “WHO's failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to rectify the harm from those failures inflicted on the American people”. “Promises made, promises kept,” the statement said.
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The US reportedly owes approximately $130 million to WHO, although estimates from some other sources point to a larger figure of $260 million or more.
The US’ joint statement also accused the body of abandoning its core mission and acting "against" the interests of the US despite it being a founding member and the largest financial contributor.
"The Organization pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests. In doing so, the WHO obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information that could have saved American lives and then concealed those failures under the pretext of acting "in the interest of public health,” it read.
“Even on our way out of the organization, the WHO tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it. The WHO refuses to hand over the American flag that hung in front of it, arguing it has not approved our withdrawal and, in fact, claims that we owe it compensation. From our days as its primary founder, primary financial backer, and primary champion until now, our final day, the insults to America continue", it added.
Towards the conclusion, the statement said the US brings “an end to the bureaucratic inertia, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international politics that have rendered the organization beyond repair”
“We will get our flag back for the Americans who died alone in nursing homes, the small businesses devastated by WHO-driven restrictions, and the American lives shattered by this organization's inactivity. Our withdrawal is for them,” it said.
Following the announcement of the US exit, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had said in a press briefing earlier this month that “withdrawing from the WHO is a loss for the United States and for global health security”.
Trump’s statement last year, which announced a withdrawal from international organisations, conventions and treaties that are "contrary to the interests" of the US, include the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, International Law Commission, International Trade Centre, Peacebuilding Commission, UN Energy and UN Population Fund and UN Water.
While WHO member states are set to discuss the US’ departure and its implications in an executive board meeting next month, administrative officials have acknowledged that certain pending issues remain unresolved, such as the loss of access to data from other nations that could provide early warnings of potential pandemics.
America has historically been the largest funder of the organisation. The worst-affected from its exit may be African nations and other third-world countries who’re offered technical assistance, scarce vaccines, and guidelines for severe health conditions by WHO.
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