US completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization, HHS says
The US Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department said the United States has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization after a yearlong process. The move ends US membership and funding, and the administration says it will pursue global health work through other partnerships while WHO warns the decision makes the world less safe.
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The US Department of Health and Human Services said the United States has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, formally ending its membership after a yearlong process. In the announcement, HHS said the decision follows a plan first announced by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, and concludes the required withdrawal period.
HHS and the State Department said the US stopped funding the WHO, withdrew personnel, and shifted work previously conducted through the organization toward direct, bilateral engagement with countries and other partners. The administration argued that the WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its failure to adopt reforms justified the exit.
The joint messaging from the administration emphasized that the United States intends to continue global health leadership outside WHO structures, including through direct cooperation with governments, private-sector partners, non-governmental organizations, and faith-based groups. Officials said future efforts would prioritize emergency response, biosecurity coordination, and health innovation.
The withdrawal has immediate implications for international public health coordination, from outbreak surveillance to technical assistance and shared standards. While the US can still collaborate with other countries, the absence of formal membership changes how information is shared and how the US participates in global decision-making bodies tied to health emergencies.
WHO publicly expressed regret about the US decision, warning that it makes both the United States and the world less safe. WHO said the withdrawal would be considered by its Executive Board beginning February 2, 2026, and also by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.
Supporters of the withdrawal say the move improves accountability for US taxpayers and reduces exposure to what they describe as politicized global bureaucracy. Critics counter that leaving weakens collective preparedness and complicates coordinated responses to cross-border threats such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and humanitarian health crises.