Official withdrawal must be carried out this Thursday; decision was announced by US President Donald Trump on the 1st day of his new term
The United States is expected to officially leave the WHO (World Health Organization) this Thursday (Jan. 22, 2026), one year after President Donald Trump (Republicans) signed the executive order that determined the country’s withdrawal from the organization. According to the news agency the North American country leaves the organization with a debt of approximately US$260 million relating to unpaid fees for 2024 and 2025.
The decision was announced by Trump on the 1st day of his new presidential term. According to North American law, the country must notify the exit 1 year in advance and pay all outstanding fees.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., presented the justifications for the departure in May 2025 in a video message to the World Health Assembly. “Like many traditional institutions, the WHO has become mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest and international power politics”he declared at the time.
The WHO states that the departure undermines global epidemiological surveillance and the agility in responding to new outbreaks. According to the agency, the presence of the United States was vital for coordination and data exchange between nations.
It is not yet known what the relationship between the American government and the WHO will be like, despite the recent history of mutual collaboration. The doubt also remains about the payment of the US$260 million debt.
WHO member states will discuss the North American withdrawal and its implications during the organization’s executive board meeting in February, according to the report. Reuters.
This is not the first time that the United States has announced its Trump had already started the withdrawal process in 2020, but President Joe Biden (Democratic Party) reversed the decision upon taking office in 2021.
