Key Takeaways
- The United States has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO) after a year-long process initiated by an executive order signed by Donald Trump on January 20, 2025.
- The US cited the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to adopt reforms, and inability to demonstrate independence from member states as reasons for its departure.
- The withdrawal has resulted in a significant reduction in international aid, with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) being shut down, and a decrease in recommended vaccines from 17 to 11.
- The US has also implemented new dietary guidelines that prioritize animal proteins over plant-based proteins, diverging from WHO recommendations.
- The withdrawal is expected to have significant consequences, including a potential increase in deaths, particularly among children under the age of five.
Introduction to the US Withdrawal from WHO
The United States has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), a process that was initiated by an executive order signed by Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. This move marks the second attempt by the Trump administration to leave the international organization, following a previous effort in 2020. The US government cited the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states as reasons for its departure. The US has been a significant contributor to the WHO, providing between $160 million and $815 million annually over the last decade.
Impact on Global Health Policy
The US withdrawal from the WHO has resulted in a significant shift in the country’s health policy, with a steady distancing from the international organization and broader global frameworks. Since the announcement, all agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have implemented a government-wide communication pause. This has prohibited them from updating CDC websites, releasing case numbers, issuing health advisories, posting on social media, and meeting with external partners. While reduced communications resumed after a few weeks, the American agency has remained disengaged from the WHO, affecting relations with other health agencies, such as the European and African centers for disease prevention and control.
Pandemic Agreement and Global Health Security
The US did not endorse the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement, a legally binding accord that requires countries to take steps to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. The agreement aims to make medical supplies, such as vaccines, more accessible worldwide. The Trump administration had played a central role in negotiating the agreement but ultimately decided not to sign it. Furthermore, the administration dissolved the Directorate of Global Health Security and Biodefense, which was created following the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak to prevent fragmented pandemic response. This move has raised concerns about the US’s ability to respond to future pandemics and global health crises.
Changes in Dietary Guidelines and Vaccine Recommendations
The US has introduced new dietary guidelines that prioritize red meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs as primary protein sources. This diverges from WHO recommendations, which focus on plant-based proteins such as beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds as primary protein sources, with animal proteins as supplementary. Additionally, the US government has announced a reduction of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11, with some of the vaccines removed from universal recommendation including Hepatitis A and B, influenza, meningococcal, and chickenpox. Critics argue that health policy cannot be "copy-pasted" and that the US should not follow the example of Denmark, which recommends 10 vaccines.
International Aid and Consequences
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) was shut down on Trump’s orders, marking the end of six decades of operations. The US provided $71.9 billion in foreign aid to 209 countries and regions in 2023, with much of it funneled through USAID. A significant portion of this aid, $16.1 billion, went to programs that cover HIV/AIDS, nutrition, tuberculosis, pandemics and emerging threats, maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health, sanitation, and other health initiatives. A study published in The Lancet warned that if the 2025 cuts persist to 2030, they could result in an additional 14.1 million deaths, including 4.5 million children under the age of five. The consequences of the US withdrawal from the WHO and the reduction in international aid are expected to be severe and far-reaching.