Washington, United States. The United States is due to officially exit the World Health Organization on Thursday, amid warnings the move could affect US and global health and questions over outstanding payments required under US law.
Exit process and outstanding fees
President Donald Trump gave notice that the United States would quit the organization on the first day of his presidency in 2025, via an executive order. Under US law, the United States must provide one-year notice and pay all outstanding fees before departure.
The WHO said the United States has not yet paid the fees it owes for 2024 and 2025, and that Washington owes the UN health agency $260 million. Member states are set to discuss the US departure and how it will be handled at the WHO’s executive board in February, a WHO spokesperson told Reuters by email.
US criticism of WHO and funding pause
On Thursday, a US State Department spokesperson said the WHO’s failure to contain, manage and share information had cost the United States trillions of dollars and that the president had exercised his authority to pause the future transfer of any US government funds, support, or resources to the WHO.
“The American people have paid more than enough to this organization and this economic hit is beyond a down payment on any financial obligations to the organization,” the spokesperson said by email.
Calls to reconsider
Over the last year, global health experts have urged a rethink, including WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“I hope the US will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” he told reporters at a press conference earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a lose for the United States, and it’s a lose for the rest of the world.”
Lawrence Gostin, founding director of the O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law at Georgetown University in Washington, said the move was a violation of US law. “But Trump is highly likely to get away with it,” he said.
Speaking to Reuters at Davos, Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, said he did not expect the United States to reconsider in the short term.
“I don’t think the U.S. will be coming back to WHO in the near future,” he said, adding that when he had an opportunity to advocate for it, he would. “The world needs the World Health Organization.”
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