The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), ending a 78-year association with the Geneva-based global health agency, US officials confirmed on Thursday.
The move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term in January 2025, which triggered a mandatory one-year waiting period before the withdrawal could take effect.
In a joint statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the decision “frees the United States from the constraints” of the organization, dw.com reports.
The Trump administration cited what it described as the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises, as well as what it called “unfairly onerous” financial obligations imposed on the United States.
The withdrawal, however, has raised complex financial and operational questions. According to the WHO, Washington still owes more than $130 million in outstanding membership fees, a figure that remains disputed.
A WHO spokesperson said the issue of the US departure and its financial implications will be discussed at the organization’s executive board meeting in February.
Trump administration officials have also acknowledged unresolved concerns, including the potential loss of access to global disease surveillance data that could provide early warning of future pandemics.
Over the past year, global health experts have repeatedly urged the United States to reconsider the decision. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the withdrawal could weaken global health security and reduce the ability of both the US and the international community to respond effectively to disease outbreaks.
The United States has historically been the WHO’s largest financial contributor. The agency plays a central role in coordinating responses to global health emergencies such as Ebola, mpox and polio, providing technical assistance to lower-income countries, facilitating vaccine distribution, and setting international guidelines for hundreds of health conditions, including cancer and mental health.
“I hope the US will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” Ghebreyesus said earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a loss for the United States, and it is a loss for the rest of the world.”
