Departure proceeds despite unpaid dues and legal violations, as WHO enacts severe budget and staff cuts.
The United States is poised to formally withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, a move that health experts warn will undermine both national and global health security. The exit also violates a U.S. legal requirement to settle outstanding dues totaling approximately $260 million before departure.
President Donald Trump initiated the withdrawal process on the first day of his presidency in 2025, invoking a one-year notice period mandated by U.S. law. That period expires this week, despite sustained appeals from global health leaders for a reversal of the decision.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated his concerns earlier this month, stating, “I hope the U.S. will reconsider and rejoin WHO. Withdrawing from the WHO is a loss for the United States, and it’s a loss for the rest of the world.”
Unpaid Dues and Legal Questions
A WHO spokesperson confirmed that the United States has not paid its assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025. Member states are scheduled to address the U.S. withdrawal and its implications during the WHO executive board meeting in February.
Lawrence Gostin, founding director of the O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law at Georgetown University, noted that the failure to pay violates U.S. law. “But Trump is highly likely to get away with it,” he added.
The U.S. State Department did not respond to inquiries regarding the outstanding fees or how the departure might affect international health collaboration.
A Blow to WHO Funding and Operations
The U.S. exit has triggered a severe budgetary crisis within the WHO. Traditionally the agency’s largest donor, the United States contributed roughly 18% of its total budget. In response to the funding shortfall, the WHO has reduced its management team by half, scaled back programs worldwide, and plans to cut about a quarter of its staff by mid-year.
While the WHO stated it has continued to collaborate and share information with U.S. authorities over the past year, the future of such cooperation remains uncertain.
Global Health Leaders Voice Alarm
At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation—a major funder of global health and WHO initiatives—expressed pessimism about a swift U.S. return. “I don’t think the U.S. will be coming back to WHO in the near future,” he told Reuters, while reaffirming, “The world needs the World Health Organization.”
Public health experts emphasize the broader risks of diminished coordination. Kelly Henning, public health program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies, warned, “The U.S. withdrawal from WHO could weaken the systems and collaborations the world relies on to detect, prevent, and respond to health threats.”
Looking Ahead
The departure marks a historic rupture in global health governance, occurring amid ongoing pandemic recovery efforts and evolving infectious disease threats. With the U.S. role in limbo, the WHO faces unprecedented financial and operational challenges, raising concerns about global preparedness for future health emergencies.
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