On January 22, 2026, the United States officially completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), terminating its nearly 78-year membership. The withdrawal was initiated by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. The Trump administration cited the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, failure to enact requested reforms, and political influence from other member states as reasons for leaving. The move has been criticized as ‘scientifically reckless’ and harmful to both global and US interests, as it removes one of WHO’s largest funders and weakens global disease surveillance and outbreak response. The US still owes over $130 million in unpaid dues to the WHO, prompting legal and ethical concerns. Going forward, the US will pursue direct bilateral data sharing and health collaborations with other nations, but without WHO’s coordination, worldwide epidemic control efforts could become less cohesive.
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