On his first day back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO). He promptly suspended funding and recalled all US government personnel working with the institution.
The news did not come as a shock. Trump announced his intention to pull out of the WHO, accusing it of “mishandling” the Covid-19 emergency in 2020. President Joe Biden then reversed the decision as he took office in 2021.
Trump now lists “unfairly onerous payments” that the health body demands from the US as one of his reasons for the move. Of the 194 WHO member states, the US is the largest contributor, averaging around 20% of annual funding. Of the organization’s yearly budget of approximately $3 billion, the US has provided between $160 million and $800 million annually for the last decade.
Many public health experts now fear the US could remain isolated and lag in addressing future health emergencies. The US pullout will also affect the WHO, potentially jeopardizing its role worldwide. In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said he hopes “the United States will reconsider, … for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions around the globe.”
Specifically, notes Jennifer Kates, senior vice president and director of global health at KFF, a health policy research organization, Trump’s executive order calls for the US to “pause any future funding … and end negotiations on the Pandemic Agreement. For the WHO, it is significant.” Aside from being the WHO’s largest voluntary donor, the US provides “the most in assessed contributions based on GDP size; China is second in this regard. The US also offers extensive technical expertise, often seconding experts to WHO, and plays a large role at the WHO governance table in pushing for reforms in the international arena.”
What happens next is a trifle unclear. A withdrawal will not be immediate; it requires a year’s notice. And, since the US joined the WHO in 1948 by act of Congress, an executive order may not be sufficient without the approval of Congress.
