U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the country will leave the World Health Organisation (WHO). He said the decision was made because the global health agency failed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic properly and handled other international health crises poorly.
What did Trump say about WHO's actions?
President Trump stated that the WHO has not acted independently and is under the “inappropriate political influence” of its member states. He added that the United States has been paying more than its fair share to the agency compared to other major countries like China.
“World Health ripped us off; everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said.
When will the U.S. leave, and what happens next?
The withdrawal will take place in 12 months. The U.S. will stop all financial contributions to the WHO during this time. Currently, the U.S. is WHO’s largest financial supporter, providing about 18% of its total budget. The WHO’s recent budget for 2024–2025 is $6.8 billion.
This is not the first time Trump has tried to withdraw from the WHO. He made similar moves during his first term in 2020, accusing the WHO of helping China "mislead the world" about COVID-19’s origins.
The WHO has denied these claims and says it continues to push China for more data about COVID's origins.