President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a body he has repeatedly criticized over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the White House hours after his inauguration, Trump said the United States was paying far more to the U.N. body compared to China, adding: "World Health ripped us off."
The United States, the largest donor to the Geneva-based organization, provides substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO's operations.
Its withdrawal is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could further disrupt global health initiatives.
This marks the second time Trump has sought to sever ties with the WHO.
During his first term, the United States issued a notice of intent to withdraw, accusing the organization of being overly influenced by China during the pandemic's early stages.
That move was later reversed under former President Joe Biden's administration.
In his new executive order, Trump directed agencies to "pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO" and to "identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO."
The administration also announced plans to review and rescind Biden's 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy, which was designed to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, "as soon as practicable."
The timing of the U.S. withdrawal comes amid mounting fears over the pandemic potential of the current bird flu outbreak (H5N1), which has infected dozens and claimed one life in the United States.
Meanwhile, WHO member states have been negotiating the world's first treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response since late 2021 -- negotiations now set to proceed without U.S. participation.
© 2025 AFP
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Jay
Good. The WHO has proven time and again that it serves the interests of global elites, not the people. From pushing questionable mandates to enabling China's lies about COVID, it's clear their agenda is about the dangerous consolidating of power - not protecting lives. Health decisions belong in the hands of sovereign nations, NOT UNELECTED INTERNATIONAL OVERLORDS. A welcome victory for freedom and common sense.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Just going to leave decisions there up to less reputable countries.
iknowall
Another smart move by Trump. Instead of wasting money on this useless group now the US can promote other programs that will benefit US citizens.
Besides, the US has several scientific and medical authorities that actually looks out for people's health.
wallace
The US paid the WHO $8 billion. Not that great.
Tokyo Guy
When the next global pandemic arrives, and odds are it will at some juncture, and it's down to Trump and (if they're stupid enough to confirm him) RFK Jr to deal with it, the numbers of dead from Covid might seem quaintly low in comparison. When you have a government which openly laughs at, and politicises, science, then you deserve everything that happens as a result.
Course it will get blamed on literally anyone but the people who are responsible for it, but then again we've demonstrated time and time again as a species that we're too stupid to learn from events.
virusrex
By prioritizing underdeveloped countries interests above what developed countries (and international companies) want from public health? that is nonsensical.
There is no institution on the planet that has done more about public health (and specially public health in poor countries) than the WHO.
The WHO is the opposite of useless, and no, renouncing to any leverage it had on the international organization will hurt the US interests much more than whatever money it saves. Now every other country will have much more weight on every decision that is made, with the US becoming irrelevant in the discussions. For example if pharmaceutical companies become obligated to cap prices in the event of a pandemic the US can be ignored and companies free to price anything freely for the US, with the obvious loss, either in public health or resources. Of course this may be the actual justification for the new US government, after all removing caps for prices of treatments is precisely what it is doing already.
When the only argument you can find are debunked conspiracy theories you are making it clear you had no real argument against the WHO.
This will likely apply to the US, but for most countries in the world it will be clear who did what and what kind of measures are going to be necessary. Countries lead by irrational governments (and with deep antiscientific bias like the US) will be left behind, sad for the population outside of the 1 percenters there.
TokyoLiving
US getting more thirdworldish than ever..
What a farce..
Bret T
@Wallace
From the WHO website:
By Country. There are other organizations interspersed within this list, but by Country
US $1.2 billion
Germany $865 million
UK $396 million
Canada $204 million
Japan $167 million
France $161 million
bass4funk
I am so happy.