US exit from WHO could see fifth of budget disappear

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The order said the US was withdrawing "due to the organisation's mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states".

The executive order also said the withdrawal was the result of "unfairly onerous payments" the US made to the WHO, which is part of the United Nations.

When Trump was still in office the first time around, he was critical of the organisation for being too "China-centric" in its tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trump accused the WHO of being biased towards China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.

Under the Biden administration the US continued to be the largest funder of the WHO and in 2023 it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency's budget.

A US withdrawal could have an impact on WHO's ability to respond to emergencies such as an Ebola outbreak, or MPOX – let alone another Covid-19-style pandemic.

Public health experts have suggested there could be other consequences for Americans' health if progress is reversed on fighting infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and Aids.

Ashish Jha, who formerly worked as Covid-19 response co-ordinator under President Biden, previously warned leaving would "harm not only the health of people around the world, but also US leadership and scientific prowess".

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Source: BBC News, 21 January 2025