US Completes Withdrawal From WHO

The United States has formally completed its exit from the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to an announcement released by the White House on Thursday. The decision was linked to concerns over how the global health body handled the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside what US officials described as a long-standing failure to implement critical institutional reforms.

In an official statement, the White House explained that both the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of State supported the move. The withdrawal was attributed to what the administration described as WHO’s poor management of the COVID-19 crisis, which originated in Wuhan, China, as well as the organisation’s inability to demonstrate political independence from certain member states.

The statement specifically accused WHO of mishandling the early stages of the pandemic, failing to introduce urgent reforms, and allowing inappropriate political influence to shape its actions and decisions. According to US officials, these factors collectively undermined trust in the organisation’s leadership and operational neutrality.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirmed that while the withdrawal has been finalised, the United States will maintain limited coordination with WHO strictly for the purpose of completing the disengagement process.

The withdrawal process officially began on January 20, 2025, when President Donald Trump publicly declared the administration’s intention to pull the United States out of the organisation. Following that announcement, the US gradually reduced its involvement over the course of the year.

During this period, the United States halted its financial contributions to WHO, withdrew American personnel working within the organisation, and reassigned activities previously conducted through WHO to direct partnerships with other countries and international bodies. These actions marked a steady reduction in US participation before the final withdrawal was completed.

The White House further criticised WHO for what it described as delays in declaring both a global public health emergency and a pandemic during the early spread of COVID-19. According to the statement, these delays cost the international community valuable time, allowing the virus to spread more widely before coordinated global responses were implemented.

US officials also accused WHO leadership of publicly supporting and praising China’s handling of the outbreak, despite evidence suggesting early underreporting, suppression of information, and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission of the virus.

Additionally, the statement claimed that WHO underestimated the risks associated with asymptomatic transmission and failed to promptly recognise and communicate the airborne nature of the virus. These shortcomings, the White House argued, weakened global containment efforts at a critical stage of the pandemic.

Beyond pandemic response issues, WHO was also criticised for failing to introduce reforms following COVID-19. The White House highlighted concerns over the organisation’s report on the possible origins of the virus, which dismissed the theory that COVID-19 may have been created in a laboratory.

According to the US statement, this conclusion was reached despite China’s refusal to release genetic sequences from individuals infected early in the outbreak and a lack of transparency regarding the activities and biosafety standards of laboratories in Wuhan.

LMSINT MEDIA also reported that WHO disclosed the United States had not paid its membership dues for both 2024 and 2025. These unpaid contributions reportedly total approximately $260 million. WHO indicated that while the issue would be discussed during its executive board meeting scheduled for February, the organisation had no mechanism to block the US withdrawal.

Reacting to the development, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed disappointment over the decision. He stated that the withdrawal represented a loss not only for the United States but also for the broader international community. According to him, the issue extended beyond funding and centred on cooperation, unity, and global solidarity in addressing public health challenges.

Despite the exit, the White House reaffirmed that the United States intends to continue playing a leadership role in global health. The administration said it will pursue this through direct collaboration with other nations, private sector partners, non-governmental organisations, and faith-based institutions.

The US emphasised that its future global health efforts will focus on emergency preparedness and response, biosecurity coordination, and advancing health innovation both domestically and internationally.