United States Officially Withdraws from World Health Organization Despite WHO Claims of False Reasoning

2026-01-26 services

Geneva, 26 January 2026
The United States has formally left the World Health Organization after a year-long withdrawal process initiated by President Trump, with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declaring the American reasons for departure as ‘untrue’. The withdrawal, announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, leaves the US owing approximately £193 million in unpaid dues whilst terminating all government funding and recalling personnel from the UN health agency.

WHO Director-General Disputes US Claims

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus challenged the Trump administration’s narrative on Saturday, 24 January 2026, stating that the reasons Washington had given for announcing its withdrawal from the agency were ‘untrue’ and warning the departure would make the US and the world ‘less safe’ [2]. The WHO chief’s response came after US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday, 23 January 2026, that the United States had formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization [2][7]. Kennedy had posted on social media platform X on Friday that the WHO was responsible for deaths in nursing homes and the destruction of small businesses [2].

Financial Obligations and Funding Termination

The withdrawal leaves the United States behind approximately $260 million (£193 million) in unpaid dues to the WHO, having failed to pay for both 2024 and 2025 [2][7]. All US government funding to the WHO has been terminated, US personnel have been recalled, and hundreds of US engagements with the WHO have been suspended [7]. The US had reserved the right to withdraw when it joined the WHO in 1948, requiring one year’s notice and meeting financial obligations for the current fiscal year [2].

Accusations and Institutional Response

The US Department of Health and Human Services cited the WHO’s ‘mishandling’ of the COVID-19 pandemic, inability to reform, and political influence from member states as primary reasons for the withdrawal [7]. President Trump had initially signed an executive order on his first day in office in 2025 signalling the withdrawal, criticising the WHO as ‘China-centric’ during the Covid pandemic [7]. In a joint statement, Kennedy and Rubio declared that ‘The WHO tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it’ [7]. The WHO responded on Saturday that the ‘notification of withdrawal raises issues’ and will be examined at the Executive Board meeting scheduled for 2-7 February 2026 and the World Health Assembly meeting in May [2].

Global Health Implications and Future Engagement

The withdrawal marks a significant shift in global health coordination, with the US limiting engagement with the WHO to effectuating its withdrawal and safeguarding American health [7]. The US indicated it will pursue bilateral relations for disease surveillance but has not specified with which countries, and intends to partner with NGOs and faith-based groups for polio and HIV efforts, though details remain unavailable [7]. Uncertainty surrounds continued US participation in global flu vaccine information sharing programmes [7]. Drew Altman, a former US public health official, noted that ‘The disappointing US response to Covid-19 has been because of a failure of policy and leadership’ [7], whilst the WHO had hoped the US would reconsider its withdrawal after Trump initially signed the order [7].

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