WASHINGTON: The United States is set to officially withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday, despite warnings that the move could harm both domestic and global health efforts and potentially violate US law due to unpaid financial obligations.
President Donald Trump issued notice of the US withdrawal on the first day of his 2025 presidency through an executive order. Under US law, a one-year notice period is required, along with the settlement of all outstanding dues before a formal exit.
However, the WHO has confirmed that Washington has yet to pay approximately $260 million in fees owed for 2024 and 2025, according to Reuters.
A US State Department spokesperson said on Thursday that the WHO’s alleged failure to contain, manage, and share critical health information had cost the US trillions of dollars. The spokesperson added that President Trump had exercised his authority to halt any future transfer of US government funds, support, or resources to the UN health agency.
“The American people have paid more than enough to this organisation, and this economic hit is beyond a down payment on any financial obligations to the organisation,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Over the past year, global health experts and WHO officials have urged Washington to reconsider. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently described the move as detrimental, saying the withdrawal would be “a loss for the United States and a loss for the rest of the world.”
Legal experts have also raised concerns. Lawrence Gostin, founding director of the O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law at Georgetown University, said the withdrawal without settling dues represents “a clear violation of US law,” though he noted the administration is likely to proceed regardless.
Speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation and a major supporter of global health initiatives, said he did not expect the US to reverse its decision in the near term. “The world needs the World Health Organisation,” he said.
The US departure has already triggered a budgetary crisis at the WHO. The agency has cut its senior management team by half, reduced programmes across departments, and announced plans to lay off roughly a quarter of its staff by mid-year. The US has historically been the WHO’s largest donor, contributing about 18% of its total funding.
While the WHO said it has continued sharing information with US authorities over the past year, the future of collaboration remains unclear. Global health experts warn that the move could weaken international systems designed to detect, prevent, and respond to health emergencies.
