The United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially took effect on Thursday, exactly one year after President Donald Trump ordered the country to pull out of the global health body.
Under the terms governing WHO membership, a withdrawal becomes effective after a mandatory one-year notice period, which expired today following the executive order signed by Trump shortly after he took office in 2025.
Although the agreement requires the United States to settle all outstanding financial obligations before withdrawal, that condition has not been met. However, the WHO has no legal mechanism to enforce payment or prevent a member state from exiting the organisation.
Reacting to the development, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed regret over the decision and urged the United States to reconsider.
“The withdrawal is a loss for the United States and also a loss for the rest of the world,” Tedros said, adding that the organisation remains open to the country’s return.
President Trump had justified the decision by accusing the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, as well as other global health emergencies. He also cited the organisation’s alleged failure to implement necessary reforms and its inability to operate independently of political influence from member states.
The executive order further criticised what it described as “unfairly onerous payments” imposed on the United States, arguing that American contributions were disproportionate compared to those of other countries, including China.
During the signing of the order, Trump said the United States was being unfairly treated by international organisations.
“World Health ripped us off. Everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” he said.
The US exit has triggered a significant budgetary shortfall at the WHO, forcing the organisation to cut its management team by half and scale back operations across several departments.
The United States has historically been the WHO’s largest financial contributor, providing about 18 per cent of the organisation’s total funding.
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