U.S. Officially Exit WHO, Cites COVID-19 Response Failures

The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), ending a membership that dated back to the body’s founding in 1948.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Thursday, describing it as the conclusion of a process initiated by President Donald Trump at the start of his second term on January 20, 2025.

In a joint statement, the two officials said the move was driven largely by what they described as the WHO’s “failures during the COVID-19 pandemic,” adding that U.S. engagement with the agency would now be limited solely to steps required to finalise the withdrawal and protect American public health. They confirmed that all U.S. funding to the organisation has ceased.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that “for all intents and purposes,” the United States is no longer participating in WHO activities, though some legal and procedural issues are still being concluded. He added that the United Nations would prefer the U.S. to remain fully engaged, stressing that global health threats require collective international action.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier disclosed that the organisation had already begun adjusting to funding shortfalls linked to the U.S. pullout, including budget cuts.

The withdrawal follows a legal process under which the United States gave a year’s notice and was required to meet its financial obligations. However, the WHO’s chief legal officer, Steven Solomon, noted that the U.S. is in arrears for 2024 and 2025, even as the formal exit takes effect.

Before the U.S. departure, the WHO had 194 member states, covering nearly all countries in the world. The exit marks the first time the organisation has lost one of its founding members, raising questions about the future of global health coordination without the participation of the world’s largest economy.