On Jan. 20, 2025, the White House announced the United States will exit the World Health Organization (WHO). The President signed an executive order setting the process in motion saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S. that are disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China.

The move means the U.S. will leave the United Nations health agency in 12 months’ time and stop all financial contributions to its work. The United States is the WHO’s contributes around 18% of its overall funding. WHO’s most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion. Nearly 10% of WHO’s funds come from philanthropic foundations, predominantly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Critics of Trump’s call believe that the U.S. will also face consequences. WHO monitors global health threats, evaluates new vaccines and medications, coordinates the response to emerging health crises as well as ongoing issues and provides expert support to countries, particularly when they face a health emergency – among other things.

The U.S. would lose easy access to critical data on outbreaks and a seat at the table when health standards are set and disease responses are decided.