The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO), triggering a major shockwave in global health diplomacy and reopening old debates about the agency’s credibility, independence and pandemic response.
Announcing the decision, the White House accused the global health body of gross failures during the COVID-19 crisis, arguing that its actions undermined global preparedness at a critical moment.
According to a statement jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of State, the withdrawal was prompted by “the organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
U.S. officials said the exit was not abrupt but the culmination of a process that began on January 20, 2025, when President Donald Trump announced Washington’s intention to leave the organisation. Over the past year, the United States gradually cut funding, withdrew personnel, and redirected global health engagements to bilateral partnerships and alternative international platforms.
The White House further accused WHO of costly delays in the early days of the pandemic, noting that its hesitation in declaring a global public health emergency “cost the world critical weeks as the virus spread.”
It also faulted the organisation’s posture toward China, stating that WHO leaders had “echoed and praised China’s response despite evidence of early underreporting, suppression of information and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission.”
Beyond that, the agency was criticised for downplaying asymptomatic transmission risks and failing to promptly acknowledge airborne spread. Washington also argued that WHO failed to implement meaningful reforms after the pandemic, deepening mistrust in its leadership and operational independence.
Meanwhile, WHO expressed deep regret over the U.S. decision. Its Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, appealed for reconsideration, saying, “I hope that the US will reconsider its decision and rejoin WHO. Withdrawal is a loss for the US and also a loss for the rest of the world… It was not about money but about cooperation and solidarity.”
Despite the withdrawal, the White House insisted that the United States would remain a major player in global health, pledging to work with other nations, private sector actors, non-governmental organisations and faith-based groups, with a renewed focus on emergency response, biosecurity coordination and health innovation.
However, analysts warn that the U.S. exit could reshape the architecture of global health governance, potentially weakening multilateral cooperation at a time when the world faces rising pandemic risks and complex health emergencies.
