The US WHO Withdrawal became effective in late January 2026, ending Washington’s formal membership in the World Health Organisation after a one-year notice period triggered by an executive order signed on Inauguration Day of Donald Trump’s second term.
The administration argues the US pays more than peer nations and has criticised the WHO’s Covid-19 response and governance. The WHO disputes that characterisation and says the decision makes both the US and the world “less safe”, while signalling it wants to keep engaging with US partners.
A key complication is money. Multiple reports and legal experts note the US still owes roughly $260 million in unpaid WHO dues linked to 2024–2025 obligations, raising questions about compliance with US domestic requirements and the mechanics of withdrawal.
US WHO Withdrawal Triggers Funding Shock and Operational Cuts
The WHO has relied heavily on US funding for years, so the exit is not just symbolic. It is operational.
According to internal WHO planning documents cited by Reuters, the agency expects staffing to fall by about 2,371 posts by June 2026, close to a quarter of its workforce, as it tries to close a budget gap.
Health experts warn that the loss of capacity will ripple across programmes that depend on rapid coordination. These include outbreak containment, antimicrobial resistance work, and support for under-resourced health systems, which often serve as early-warning “firebreaks” for global spread.
Flu Vaccine Readiness Takes a Direct Hit
One immediate concern is influenza surveillance. By leaving, the US no longer participates in the WHO’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), a network established in 1952 that underpins global strain tracking and informs vaccine virus selection.
This matters because annual flu vaccines are planned well in advance, based on global data and expert review. The US can still read public outputs, but it loses formal influence and may face slower or less integrated access to the full collaboration pipeline that shapes recommendations.
The stakes are high. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates seasonal flu has caused 9.3–41 million illnesses, 120,000–710,000 hospitalisations, and 6,300–52,000 deaths annually in the US (2010–2024).
Pushback From Clinicians and a Growing Patchwork Response
Prominent health voices are publicly alarmed. The Infectious Diseases Society of America called the move “shortsighted and misguided”, stressing that “germs do not respect borders”.
At the same time, sub-national actors are moving to fill gaps. California announced it will join the WHO-coordinated Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), positioning itself as a direct partner in international outbreak support despite the federal exit.
The bigger strategic risk is influence. Public health is a contact sport. If the US steps back from agenda-setting, other powers may shape standards, priorities, and data-sharing norms in ways that affect Americans anyway.
- Miller is Professor of Public Health at Arizona State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.