Within roughly 8 hours of taking his oath of office, President Donald Trump on Monday signed an order to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Trump’s executive order cited numerous reasons for pulling the U.S. out of the WHO, including:
“The organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic … 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 WHO also “continues to demand unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S., the order stated. “China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO.”
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U.S. law requires a one-year notice and the payment of any outstanding fees when the country withdraws from the WHO. That means the final full withdrawal will take effect in early 2026.
— Reuters
Sources:
- January 20, 2025. Donald J. Trump. “Withdrawing The United States From The World Health Organization.” The White House.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/.
Government. - January 21, 2025. Patrick Wingrove, Jennifer Rigby, and Emma Farge. “Trump Orders US Exit from World Health Organization.” Reuters, sec. United States.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-executive-withdrawing-world-health-organization-2025-01-21/.
News. - January 21, 2025. Suzanne Burdick. “Trump Orders U.S. to Withdraw From World Health Organization.” Children’s Health Defense, sec. Global Threats.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-orders-us-withdraw-world-health-organization/.
Activist.
Related:
- January 21, 2025. “WHO Comments on United States’ Announcement of Intent to Withdraw.” World Health Organization.
https://www.who.int/news/item/21-01-2025-who-comments-on-united-states–announcement-of-intent-to-withdraw.
World Health Organization.