U.S. formally withdraws from the World Health Organization

The United States has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), completing a process initiated by President Donald Trump at the start of his second term and marking a major shift in global public health governance.

On January 22, 2026, the U.S. formally exited the WHO after fulfilling the required one-year notice period outlined under international agreements. The withdrawal follows Executive Order 14155, signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, which set the process in motion.

The Trump administration cited what it described as “profound failures” by the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in its response to the outbreak originating in Wuhan, China. The White House also pointed to what it called the organization’s lack of accountability, transparency, independence, and refusal to implement meaningful reforms.

What the withdrawal means in practice

To implement the executive order, the U.S. government has taken several concrete steps:

- All U.S. government funding to the WHO has been terminated.

- U.S. personnel and contractors assigned to the WHO have been recalled from its headquarters in Geneva and offices worldwide.

- Hundreds of U.S. engagements with WHO programs have been suspended or discontinued.

- The U.S. has ceased participation in WHO committees, governance bodies, leadership structures, and technical working groups.

While the Trump administration had previously announced plans to withdraw from the WHO in 2020, the move was never completed during Trump’s first term. The 2026 withdrawal marks the first time the United States has fully exited the organization since its creation in 1948.

Funding, accountability, and burden-sharing

U.S. officials have long argued that Washington bore a disproportionate share of the WHO’s financial burden. Despite the organization’s 194 member states, the United States was its largest single contributor for decades.

According to the administration, U.S. assessed contributions, mandatory dues, averaged approximately $111 million per year, while voluntary contributions averaged around $570 million annually, totaling billions of dollars over time. In several years, U.S. contributions exceeded the combined funding provided by multiple other member states.

The administration argues that withdrawing from the WHO restores accountability to U.S. taxpayers and allows Washington to deploy public health funding more directly and efficiently.

A new approach to global health

Despite leaving the WHO, U.S. officials say the country will continue to play a leading role in global health. The administration maintains that the United States remains the world’s top authority in public health and will continue to invest in infectious disease detection, outbreak response, global biosecurity, and health innovation through bilateral and targeted partnerships.

For decades, the U.S. has led major global health initiatives, including responses to pandemics and eradication efforts against diseases such as smallpox and polio. The administration says those efforts will continue outside WHO structures, with a focus on direct engagement, measurable outcomes, and national oversight.

Completing the transition

With the legal withdrawal finalized in January 2026, the United States has ended its membership, governance participation, and financial contributions to the World Health Organization. The move represents one of the most consequential changes in global health diplomacy in decades, with implications for international cooperation, funding mechanisms, and future pandemic preparedness. How the absence of the world’s largest former donor will reshape the WHO, and whether alternative cooperation frameworks will fill the gap, remains to be seen.