The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, ending nearly eight decades of U.S. membership in the global health body, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The withdrawal took effect exactly one year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office in January 2025 directing the United States to exit the agency.
In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the legal termination of U.S. membership had been completed in line with the WHO’s constitutional requirement for a one-year notice period.
“The United States has concluded that continued membership in the World Health Organization no longer serves our national interest or the interests of global public health,” the statement said.
Reasons for withdrawal
U.S. officials said the decision was driven by long-standing concerns over the WHO’s performance, governance and political neutrality.
The administration cited what it described as the WHO’s mishandling of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, including delays in declaring a global health emergency and reliance on information provided by China that U.S. officials later described as inaccurate or incomplete.
Officials also accused the organization of failing to implement meaningful internal reforms related to transparency, accountability and institutional efficiency, describing it as a “bloated and inefficient bureaucracy” vulnerable to political influence.
Immediate operational impact
With the withdrawal now complete, all U.S. financial contributions to the WHO have ceased. U.S. government personnel and contractors previously working within WHO offices have been recalled, and official engagement with the agency has been reduced to administrative steps required to finalize the separation.
According to United Nations records, the United States owes between $260 million and $280 million in unpaid assessed contributions. The State Department said Washington does not intend to settle the outstanding arrears.
WHO response
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed regret over the U.S. decision, calling it a “lose-lose situation” for both the United States and global public health.
Tedros warned that the withdrawal could weaken international disease surveillance and emergency response systems, including monitoring networks for Ebola, influenza and other cross-border health threats. He said global health security depends on collective action and added that the organization remains open to the United States rejoining in the future.
“No country can tackle health threats alone,” he said.
Shift in U.S. global health strategy
Despite the withdrawal, U.S. officials said Washington would continue to engage internationally on health issues through bilateral partnerships, cooperation with non-governmental organizations and collaboration with private-sector health institutions.
Officials described the new approach as more direct, accountable and results-driven than participation in a centralized United Nations agency.
Global implications
The U.S. exit represents the most significant loss of funding and political support in the WHO’s history and raises questions about the organization’s future financing and influence.
Public health experts worldwide are watching closely to assess how the departure will affect global coordination on pandemic preparedness, vaccine distribution and emergency response.
For now, the withdrawal marks a decisive shift in the United States’ approach to global health — away from multilateral institutions and toward a decentralized network of bilateral and private partnerships.
