Geneva — The United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization on Wednesday, severing a partnership that dates to the agency's founding in 1948 and ending American participation in the primary international body coordinating global health responses.
The withdrawal, executed through executive order, takes effect immediately. It marks the second time in four years that Washington has quit the WHO, though the previous withdrawal notice was rescinded before taking effect.
United States officials cited what they characterized as the WHO's "mishandling" of the COVID-19 pandemic and alleged Chinese influence over the organization. "The WHO failed in its basic duty during COVID and has been unable to demonstrate independence from political manipulation," a State Department spokesman said.
The WHO, headquartered in Geneva, coordinates international responses to disease outbreaks, sets health standards, and provides technical assistance to member nations. The United States has been the organization's largest single funder, contributing approximately $1.3 billion in the 2024-2025 budget cycle — roughly 18% of the WHO's total funding.
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. The WHO emerged from the ashes of World War II as part of a broader American-led effort to construct international institutions that could prevent future catastrophic conflicts. For seven decades, American leadership in global health was unquestioned — from smallpox eradication to HIV/AIDS response to pandemic preparedness.
That consensus shattered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the WHO's early response drew criticism from multiple directions. Some nations felt the organization was too deferential to China, where the virus originated. Others believed it was too slow to declare a pandemic. Washington particularly criticized WHO statements in January 2020 that downplayed evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Yet public health experts note that the WHO operates under significant constraints. It has no independent enforcement power and relies entirely on member states for information. When China delayed sharing data in early 2020, the WHO had limited ability to compel transparency.
The immediate practical consequences of American withdrawal are severe. The $1.3 billion funding gap represents approximately 18% of the WHO's budget. While other nations may increase contributions, few have the financial capacity to fully offset American funding.
More significant than the money is the expertise. American epidemiologists, researchers, and public health officials have been deeply embedded in WHO operations for decades. Their abrupt departure will degrade the organization's technical capabilities, particularly in areas where United States agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have provided specialized knowledge.
European nations responded with a mixture of dismay and resignation. Germany and France issued statements reaffirming their commitment to multilateral health cooperation and pledging to help maintain WHO operations. China offered to increase its contributions, though that offer will likely intensify concerns about Chinese influence over the organization.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, expressed regret at the American decision. "The world needs the WHO, and the WHO needs all nations," he said in a statement. "We remain committed to our mission of health for all people."
Public health experts warn that the withdrawal leaves America vulnerable to future pandemics. The WHO's disease surveillance networks provide early warning of emerging threats. Without access to those systems, the United States will have reduced visibility into disease outbreaks in regions with limited public health infrastructure.
The withdrawal also affects American pharmaceutical companies and researchers, who will lose access to WHO technical standards, clinical trial coordination, and drug approval processes that facilitate international operations. Several major pharmaceutical companies privately lobbied against the withdrawal, fearing it would complicate their global operations.
Political opposition within the United States was swift but limited. Democratic lawmakers condemned the decision as "reckless" and "ideologically driven." Yet the withdrawal was accomplished through executive authority that requires no congressional approval, limiting legislators' ability to reverse it.
This is not simply an administrative decision about international organization membership. It represents a fundamental shift in American engagement with multilateral institutions. The United States helped create the post-World War II international order — including the WHO, NATO, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank — to advance American interests through cooperative frameworks.
Withdrawing from these institutions does not free the United States from global interdependence. Disease outbreaks do not respect borders. A pandemic originating in Africa or Asia will reach American shores regardless of WHO membership. The question is whether Washington will have advance warning and coordinated response capabilities, or whether it will face threats in isolation.
As I reported from Geneva during the Ebola crisis of 2014, the WHO's value lies not in its ability to prevent every outbreak, but in its capacity to coordinate international responses that no single nation can mount alone. That coordination becomes more difficult, not easier, when the world's most powerful nation withdraws from the table.
