The US has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization.

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What is the WHO and what does it do?

The WHO plays many roles—the visible, apparent roles that many people are familiar with, and the roles that are less visible. This includes:

• Detecting, monitoring, and responding to emerging health threats, pandemics, and diseases of importance; we saw that during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Gathering and evaluating data and information from all over the world in order to understand the status of health globally and detect emerging problems. This includes acute crises as well as larger trends in health—which issues are causing a higher burden of disease and which ones we’re making progress on and should sustain efforts to address.
• Setting standards and developing guidelines that help people around the world, including here in the U.S., deal with various health threats and crises—not only infectious diseases, but all sorts of health issues.
• Providing commodities and goods to improve health around the world, including vaccines and drugs for many diseases. The U.S.’s withdrawal from WHO impacts not only the people who receive those goods, but also the supply chain for them, which includes many people in corporate America.
• Assisting with humanitarian response, which has important implications both for the populations who are affected by those crises and for global diplomacy and the role of our humanitarian responses in improving global diplomacy around the world.
• Providing very important technical assistance to governments and partners around the world to be able to respond to health challenges. The U.S. plays a very important role in providing this technical assistance.

SOURCE: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-consequences-of-the-us-withdrawal-from-the-who

Which countries fund the WHO?

• The WHO Constitution does not contain a withdrawal provision. In authorizing U.S. participation in the WHO, however, Congress enacted a U.S. right to withdraw from the WHO Constitution upon one year’s notice. The full WHO membership accepted this condition on U.S. participation. While domestic law authorizes U.S. withdrawal, it is less clear about whether the President has the authority to make the decision to withdraw without congressional approval. U.S. law also requires the United States to continue paying WHO assessed contributions after making the decision to withdraw through the end of the WHO’s fiscal year, calling into question whether President Trump’s decision to suspend funding comports with legislative requirements.
• Because the notification of withdrawal and withdrawal itself would occur in two separate years, there is also uncertainty about whether the United States is required to pay assessments through 2025, the year it gave notice of withdrawal, or 2026, the year in which the withdrawal would become effective. As occurred in 2021, the United States is free to retract its notification of withdrawal at any time prior to withdrawal becoming effective, to remain a WHO member.

 

• WHO withdrawal and possible reacceptance. Because effective U.S. withdrawal cannot legally occur until a year from the date the Trump Administration notifies the UN Secretary-General, the Administration could retract the U.S. notification of withdrawal before that date and the United States would remain a WHO member. If withdrawal becomes effective and the United States later wants to rejoin WHO, Congress might exercise its constitutional prerogatives concerning treaties, either through the advice-andconsent procedures of the Senate or new authorizing legislation.
• U.S. role and influence. Some observers are concerned that the U.S. withdrawal might enable other countries, such as China, to gain greater influence in WHO and negatively affect U.S. influence on global health policies. Supporters of withdrawal argue that the United States is using its role as WHO’s largest financial contributor to express its concerns regarding the organization’s handling of COVID-19 and other issues. Some also suggest that the U.S. withdrawal might improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of WHO and prompt continued organizational reform.

How does the US benefit from the WHO?

The USA benefits from participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) in several ways:

1. Global Health Security

• The WHO helps detect and respond to global health threats, such as pandemics (e.g., COVID-19, Ebola). The USA benefits from early warnings, research, and coordinated responses to contain outbreaks before they reach its borders.

2. Disease Prevention & Control

• Through WHO programs, the USA helps prevent and combat diseases like tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and polio worldwide. This reduces the risk of infectious diseases spreading to the U.S.

3. Research & Data Sharing

• The WHO collects and shares health data from around the world, which the USA uses to guide medical research, public health policies, and vaccine development.

4. Emergency Response & Humanitarian Aid

• The WHO coordinates global emergency responses to health crises, such as natural disasters, famine, and pandemics. U.S. participation ensures rapid international aid and access to resources when needed.

5. Strengthening Global Health Systems

• By supporting WHO efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure in developing nations, the USA helps prevent health crises that could have international consequences.

6. Economic & Trade Benefits

• Healthy populations worldwide contribute to stable economies and international trade, benefiting U.S. businesses and reducing economic disruptions caused by global health crises.

7. Diplomatic & Strategic Influence

• The USA’s involvement in WHO allows it to have a voice in global health policy decisions, ensuring its priorities and interests are represented.