The United States took a notable step by issuing an executive order to withdraw its membership from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This decision of the US which might be a turning point for global health diplomacy, has also created a debate about what its implications will be. As the US was the largest financial contributor in the WHO, henceforth, is this decision will slow down the process of WHO to respond global health crisis or it will help WHO to became more strong?
Top Reasons the US withdraw its membership from WHO
Because of several key factors, the US, the biggest funder of WHO, has withdrawn its membership. The executive order signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, highlighted different reasons which primarily revolve around the dissatisfaction of the US with WHO for not handling the COVID-19 pandemic responsibly and handling the global health crisis.
1. WHO’s inadequate response towards COVID-19
The US justified its withdrawal from the WHO by mentioning the WHO’s failure to faster response in the early stages of COVID-19. The US government argue that in the early stage when the pandemic outbreak in China in December 2019, WHO’s response was delayed to identify it as a new coronavirus in January 2020. This lead to delayed global response and it broke out throughout the world as a global health crisis.
2. Financial burden on the US
This is one of the major reasons that the US has withdrawn its membership from WHO. The US is the biggest donor to WHO, contributing around $988 million from 2024 to 2025, which is about 14% of the total budget of $6.9 billion of WHO. In a budget document that was presented at last Wednesday’s meeting, it was mentioned that most of WHO’s emergency programs heavily relied on American funds, with around 40% of large-scale emergency operations, like for polio eradication and HIV programs in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, are covered.
3. WHO’s failure to implement reforms
Failure to implement meaningful reforms by WHO over the years has also been mentioned as a reason for withdrawing the US membership. The US criticised WHO for its bureaucratic inefficiencies and delayed decision-making in handling different global health crises. Besides that, the US argue that the policies of WHO have also been controlled by other countries for which it failed to build a strong mechanism to efficiently construct its policies.
Immediate impact of the exit on WHO
As the US is the largest donor covering around 14% of WHO’s total budget, it creates an immediate impact on funding shortfall. WHO has lost around $988 million for which several critical programs of WHO such as vaccine distribution, polio eradication, HIV programs and tuberculosis will be delayed. This will particularly impact the global health crisis in regions like Sudan, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, the Western Pacific and Ukraine.
Many allies and member of WHO have expressed their concerns that many life-saving programs might be impacted due to a shortfall of funding. A budget meeting was recently organised, where it has been discussed gap which critical function of the WHO can collapse due to the funding gap. However, another meeting regarding this budget gap will also be held on February 11 by the executive board of WHO, where 34 high-level envoys and many national health ministers will take part in the discussion.
WHO is currently working on a global health crisis of the outbreak of the Marburg virus in Tanzania, Ebola in Uganda and mpox in Congo. The current budget gap might also impact this operation of WHO. Henceforth, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other leaders want the US to reconsider their withdrawal decision and back in WHO again.
Moreover, Matthew Kavanagh, the director of the Center for Global Health Policy and Politics of Georgetown University, has mentioned that the US provide less than 1% of the health budget of the WHO and they get a wide variety of health benefits against it including virus samples for vaccines, intelligence about global disease epidemics and so on. He also said that WHO is in a critical condition as it is massively underfunded. Additionally, the leaders of WHO have also mentioned the decision of the US to withdraw its membership is not because of financial burden but rather the political impact.
How exit of the US from WHO can reshape global health?
After the exit from the membership lists of WHO, the US holds significant opportunities to influence global health initiatives. There are several opportunities that the US can grab. They can engage with bilateral health programs with different individual nations. Even they can fund NGOs for vaccine distribution, emergency disease controls and vaccine development from virus samples.
Another chance can also be grabbed by the US without having any involvement with WHO. They can take participate in the research and development of vaccines by partnering with different private foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other pharmaceutical companies. In this way, the global health programs can be reshaped by the US individually without the intervention of the WHO.
WHO’s role in global health
WHO was founded in 1948. It is the agency of the United Nations that was founded with the aim of improving global health and safety. Through this organisation, the UN wants to connect countries, communities and partners to promote better health. It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
WHO has 194 members and States are grouped into 6 regions. The 6 regions are – the African Region, the Region of America, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Southeast Asia Region, the European Region and the Western Pacific Region. However, as the US withdraw its membership from WHO, henceforth there will be only 5 regional offices of WHO in future.
From the name of the World Health Organisation, we can estimate how much influence WHO have on the worldwide health system. WHO has been known for its responsibilities in detecting, monitoring and responding to several health crises globally and bringing solutions like it did during the period of COVID-19.
Moreover, WHO gathers different information and data from around the world regarding any diseases or any kind of symptoms to stay updated regarding any health crises in the world. It tracks the changes in the health problems worldwide and detects any emergency conditions so that they can be addressed first-hand before they can outbreak.
They have a great role in universal health coverage, health emergencies and health and well-being. They always focus on primary healthcare so that healthcare quality can be improved and accessibility can be enhanced. They train the health workforce to provide healthcare services at the global level and enhance the tracking process of data and information.
WHO has a target of the Thirteen Generals Programme of World 2019-2023, under which they want to provide benefits to more than 1 billion people under health coverage, provide better protection to over 1 billion people through emergency programs and provide better health to more than 1 billion people through better health and well-being program.
FAQ
Why did the United States decide to withdraw its membership from the World Health Organization (WHO)?
The U.S. withdrew its membership from the WHO because of several key factors. These primarily revolve around the dissatisfaction of the U.S. with WHO for not handling the COVID-19 pandemic responsibly and failing to implement meaningful reforms over the years.
How will the U.S. exit from the WHO impact global health programs and funding?
As the U.S. is the largest donor, contributing around 14% of WHO’s total budget, its withdrawal will create an immediate funding shortfall. WHO will lose around $988 million, which will delay critical programs like vaccine distribution, polio eradication, HIV programs, and tuberculosis initiatives. This will particularly impact global health crises in regions like Sudan, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, the Western Pacific, and Ukraine.
What were the main reasons behind the U.S. dissatisfaction with WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic?
The U.S. justified its withdrawal by mentioning WHO’s failure to respond quickly in the early stages of COVID-19. The U.S. government argued that WHO’s response was delayed in identifying the coronavirus and failed to act rapidly enough, allowing the virus to spread globally.
How significant is the U.S. financial contribution to WHO, and how will its withdrawal affect WHO’s budget?
The U.S. is the biggest donor to WHO, contributing about $988 million from 2024 to 2025, which is 14% of WHO’s total budget of $6.9 billion. The loss of this funding will create a significant gap, particularly affecting WHO’s emergency programs, such as those for polio eradication and HIV programs in regions like Ukraine, Sudan, and the Middle East.
What are the potential alternatives for the U.S. to influence global health without being a member of WHO?
The U.S. has several opportunities to engage with global health initiatives independently. They can engage in bilateral health programs with individual nations, fund NGOs for vaccine distribution, emergency disease controls, and vaccine development, or partner with private foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other pharmaceutical companies for vaccine research and development.
What are the immediate consequences of the U.S. exit on critical health programs such as vaccine distribution and polio eradication?
The U.S. withdrawal creates a funding gap that will delay critical programs such as vaccine distribution, polio eradication, and HIV programs. Many of these programs, especially in regions like Sudan, Ukraine, and the Middle East, heavily relied on American funds, and their delay will significantly affect global health responses.
How does the World Health Organization’s role in global health and its vision for the future change with the U.S. departure?
WHO’s role in global health remains critical, as it is responsible for detecting, monitoring, and responding to health crises globally. With the U.S. exit, WHO will have only five regional offices instead of six, and there may be challenges in funding and executing its programs. However, WHO continues to focus on universal health coverage, health emergencies, and health and well-being, with the goal of benefiting over 1 billion people through better health coverage, protection, and overall well-being.
