{"id":12856300,"date":"2026-01-31T19:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T00:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.philstockworld.com\/?p=12856300"},"modified":"2026-02-02T20:46:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T01:46:56","slug":"us-exit-from-the-world-health-organization-marks-a-new-era-in-global-health-policy-heres-what-the-us-and-world-will-lose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philstockworld.com\/2026\/01\/31\/us-exit-from-the-world-health-organization-marks-a-new-era-in-global-health-policy-heres-what-the-us-and-world-will-lose\/","title":{"rendered":"US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy \u2013 here\u2019s what the US, and world, will\u00a0lose"},"content":{"rendered":"

US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy \u2013 here\u2019s what the US, and world, will lose<\/h2>\n

By\u00a0Jordan Miller<\/a>, Arizona State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The U.S. departure from the World Health Organization became official in late January 2026, according to the Trump administration<\/a> \u2013 a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order<\/a> on inauguration day of his second term declaring that he was doing so. He first stated his intention to do so during his first term in 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/em><\/p>\n

The U.S. severing its ties with the WHO will cause ripple effects that linger for years to come, with widespread implications for public health. The Conversation asked Jordan Miller<\/a>, a public health professor at Arizona State University, to explain what the U.S. departure means in the short and long term.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why is the US leaving the WHO?<\/h2>\n

The Trump administration says it\u2019s unfair that the U.S. contributes more than other nations and cites this as the main reason for leaving. The White House\u2019s official announcement<\/a> gives the example of China, which \u2013 despite having a population three times the size of the U.S. \u2013 contributes 90% less than the U.S. does to the WHO.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has also claimed that the WHO\u2019s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was botched<\/a> and that it lacked accountability and transparency.<\/p>\n

The WHO has pushed back on these claims<\/a>, defending its pandemic response, which recommended masking and physical distancing.<\/p>\n

The U.S. does provide a disproportionate amount of funding to the WHO. In 2023, for example, U.S. contributions almost tripled that of the European Commission\u2019s<\/a> and were roughly 50% more than the second highest donor, Germany. But health experts point out that preventing and responding quickly to public health challenges is far less expensive than dealing with those problems once they\u2019ve taken root and spread<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, the withdrawal process is complicated, despite the U.S. assertion that it is final. Most countries do not have the ability to withdraw, as that is the way the original agreement to join the WHO was designed. But the U.S. inserted a clause into its agreement with the WHO when it agreed to join, stipulating that the U.S. would have the ability to withdraw, as long as it provided a one-year notice and paid all remaining dues. Though the U.S. gave its notice when Trump took office a year ago, it still owes the WHO about US$260 million in fees<\/a> for 2024-25. There are complicated questions of international law<\/a> that remain.<\/p>\n