On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order into law that will withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), inciting major controversy across the country.
The WHO is a global organization that is comprised of 194 member states, including every country in the world except for Liechtenstein, and soon the U.S. The group serves to help combat outbreaks of major diseases and pandemics, help countries respond to health emergencies accordingly and increase access to healthcare across the globe (WHO).
The WHO also helps promote global diplomacy by giving member states humanitarian response, technical assistance and responding to sudden outbreaks of health challenges (Johns Hopkins). However, the cost demanded to be able to carry out said roles are hefty, and the U.S. faces the brunt of these charges as one of the wealthiest and most developed countries in the world.
Trump’s executive order has sparked nationwide contention on the potential effects this removal can bring. The WHO helps detect, monitor and rebut diseases like COVID-19, using data from their member states to understand the diseases’ progression and distribution. They also provide vaccines, medications and drugs to combat different infectious illnesses in parts of the world that may not have access by themselves (Johns Hopkins).
President Trump has found many inconsistencies in their work, ultimately leading to his decision. In Trump’s first presidential term (2016-2020), he attempted to remove the U.S. from the WHO in July 2020 but failed because the WHO requires a one-year notice before withdrawal. Former President Joe Biden rescinded the order (Executive Order 13987) less than a year later after starting his presidential term in 2021. This chain of events ultimately led to Trump’s decision to reimplement the withdrawal last month (The White House).
The order states, “The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
In the executive order, Trump also stated that the WHO demanded an oppressive sum of money from the U.S. His rebuke was that China, the second most populous country in the world, is only demanded around 10% of the total monetary sum expected from the U.S.
While it is expensive to be a part of the WHO, many are saying that it could be even worse for the U.S. if the withdrawal is followed through in a year (Johns Hopkins). Having the government take its own research and statistics, with finding enough professionals to procure enough of either of them, will be even more taxing than what the WHO expects from the national government.
Citizens are also worried that this will negatively impact diplomatic relations with countries across the globe. The U.S. has been known as a country that helps those who need it, and countries that may not have the same political views as the nation still seek the U.S. for aid. Leaving the WHO can put these diplomatic arrangements in danger and sever ties with many economic alliances around the world (Johns Hopkins).
However, Trump’s executive order stated that the WHO’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak outweighs the foreseen consequences. Early in the pandemic, the WHO tried to reach a diplomatic consensus about the disease but failed as countries hoarded vaccines and refused to give them to other countries in need. They also claimed that people did not need to wear masks when faced with the virus which was later a costly mistake (AP News).
China and other countries also withheld data about COVID-19, which Trump saw as the WHO holding unfair bias as an organization that is supposed to hold no political stance.
There are also concerns about how the WHO may respond to another outbreak on such a large scale as seen by the coronavirus. With the treacherous balance of so many member states and the disproportionate amount of funds demanded from the U.S., Trump saw leaving the WHO as the best choice (Johns Hopkins).
The WHO will also suffer majorly from the removal of the U.S. with both funds and data. They are working to try and regain U.S. support for both their sake and for people across the world.
