The United States is poised to officially exit the World Health Organization (WHO) one year following President Trump’s executive order on the matter.
In January 2025, Trump signed an order declaring that the WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and failed to “demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.” The WHO “continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments,” the order read. “China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO.”
At the time the order was issued, the WHO said it “regrets” the nation’s decision.
“We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe,” the organization said last year.
According to a report from Reuters, the U.S. owes the WHO $260 million in fees from 2024 and 2025.
Argentina has also sought to withdraw from the WHO. In a joint statement with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Argentine Minister of Health Mario Lugones wrote, “The absence of meaningful reforms, disproportionate financial demands, and the increasing politicization of the organization have ultimately led the United States and Argentina to withdraw from the WHO,” the health leaders wrote, noting that the organization has moved away from its mission and has instead become “increasingly reliant on voluntary contributions and vulnerable to the influence of non-scientific agendas.”
“Withdrawal marks the beginning of a new path—toward building a modern global health cooperation model grounded in scientific integrity, transparency, sovereignty, and accountability,” Kennedy and Lugones added.
