President-elect Donald Trump intends to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 20, the first day of his second administration. The Financial Times first reported the plans on Sunday, December 22.
Meanwhile, global health officials warn of “catastrophic” consequences if the United States leaves the organization. The United States’ departure from the global health organization would reportedly remove the agency’s largest single donor. Between 2022 and 2023, the United States provided approximately 16% of the WHO’s funding.
Lawrence Gostin, Professor of Global Health at Georgetown Law, stated that America’s absence would create a “huge vacuum in global health financing and leadership,” harmed the WHO’s ability to respond to health emergencies, and would result in cuts to “scientific staff.”
Global health officials believe the WHO is critical for vaccine development and distribution, as well as other treatments during global health emergencies.
According to Gostin, a withdrawal will likely impede the United States’ response to any potential pandemics, as the country will be without a key source of information “when the next outbreak occurs.”
Is the second time the charm?
This would not be Trump’s first attempt to lead the United States out of the World Health Organization.
In 2020, as COVID-19 spread, Trump began the process of leaving the organization. At the time, he accused the WHO of being controlled by Beijing and criticized its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He wrote a four-page letter to the WHO director, suspending funds.
On May 29, 2020, President Trump stated: “We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.”
Details about how Trump’s new administration intends to handle the reported withdrawal have yet to be revealed. In his first attempt to divert funds elsewhere, Trump’s team stated that the US would continue to hold “critical meetings” with the organization.
At the time, some Republican lawmakers supported the decision for the US to withdraw from the WHO. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote on X that the WHO “must be held accountable,” but that it would divert funds to more “credible and transparent” world health agencies that could “demonstrate their independence from China.”
However, the withdrawal process was never completed, and Trump’s successor, President Joe Biden, resumed relations with the WHO on his first day in office, only months later.
According to sources familiar with Trump’s current plans, the incoming administration will withdraw from the agency much more quickly this time around.
