US exits World Health Organization after nearly eight decades
The Trump administration cites pandemic failures and political bias as reasons for exit
The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), ending nearly 78 years of membership in the UN health agency, US officials said.
The departure took effect January 22 2026, following the required one-year notice period under international rules.
In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. announced the move, saying the US had withdrawn from the WHO and freed itself from the organisation’s constraints.
The officials cited what they described as the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its handling of the outbreak that began in Wuhan, China. They accused the agency of pursuing a politicised and bureaucratic agenda, obstructing timely information sharing and acting against US interests under the influence of nations hostile to the US.
They said US engagement with the WHO will now be limited strictly to carrying out the withdrawal process and safeguarding the health and safety of the American people. All US funding for and staffing of WHO initiatives has ceased, according to the statement.
US personnel have been recalled, and the country has shifted its focus to direct bilateral partnerships and independent approaches to global health efforts, the officials said.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly expressed regret over the decision, describing the withdrawal as a lose-lose situation and saying it is not the right decision.
The WHO was founded on April 7 1948. The United States was among the original signatories of its constitution in 1946 and formally ratified it in June 1948, becoming a founding member.
President Trump has long been a sharp critic of the WHO, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. He accused the organisation of mishandling the early stages of the outbreak, being too close to China, repeating inaccurate information from Beijing and politicising the crisis by calling US travel bans from China racist.
Trump has also criticised what he described as an unfair financial burden on the United States, saying it paid far more than other countries, including China, without receiving fair treatment in return.
During his second term, Trump acted on those criticisms by withdrawing the United States from the WHO in 2025, bringing an end to US membership and funding after nearly eight decades.