Just over a year after Donald Trump took office and announced the United States’ intention to leave the World Health Organization (WHO), the withdrawal is now complete. The US, a founding member and long time leading donor, has played a central role in global health for decades.  

Over the past 20 years, US funded programs in partnership with WHO are estimated to have prevented more than 90 million deaths worldwide, including 30 million child deaths. The US was also instrumental in eradicating smallpox and advancing efforts against polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza and other public health threats. 

Reasons cited by the Trump administration for the withdrawal included perceived failures in WHO’s COVID response and an alleged effort to compromise US independence.  

WHO’s ability to respond to global health threats relies on coordinated international cooperation. For example, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response system relies on live data from 131 countries to develop recommendations for influenza virus vaccines. Without US participation, the program suffers a significant loss in data potentially affecting the efficacy of their recommendations. 

It also leaves a significant gap in funding, which China has stepped in to fill, pledging $500 million USD in voluntary contributions over the next five years. This now makes China WHO’s largest financial contributor.  

“There are many things done through WHO that benefit the United States, especially in health security,” the Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.

“The US cannot be safe without working with WHO.”

“When I say for the US to reconsider its return, it’s not about money. Money can be adjusted. It’s about co-operation. It’s about solidarity. The best immunity is solidarity.” – Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.