US Splits from World Health Organization

The U.S. has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Jan. 22. This finalized a longstanding goal of President Donald Trump, which he announced on the first day of his presidency last year. HHS said the decision reflected failures by the United Nations (UN) health agency in its management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Trump’s first presidency, his administration formally began a withdrawal from the WHO. However, four years later in 2021, then-President Joe Biden halted the U.S. exit from the UN health agency.

HHS stated that the U.S. will work with the WHO only in a limited capacity to execute the withdrawal. The HHS said the government ended its funding to the WHO. Under U.S. law, it was supposed to give one-year’s notice and pay all outstanding fees—around US$260 million—before departing, Reuters reported. However, a U.S. State Department official disputed that the statute requires any payment before withdrawal.

The U.S. will still work with countries and trusted health institutions, HHS said. It aims to share best practices, strengthen preparedness, and protect communities through a more focused, transparent, and effective model that delivers real outcomes.

On Thursday, Reuters reported that the U.S. flag had been removed from outside the WHO headquarters in Geneva, according to witnesses. Meanwhile, the WHO noted that the U.S. has not yet paid the fees it owes for 2024 and 2025. Looking ahead, member states are scheduled to discuss the U.S. departure and its handling at the WHO’s executive board meeting in February, a WHO spokesperson said.