The United States has finalized its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a joint announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State. The decision follows criticism of WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns over governance, and allegations of political influence within the organization.
President Trump initially declared on January 20, 2025, that the U.S. would leave WHO. Over the following year, the U.S. halted funding to WHO, removed its personnel from the organization, and redirected activities previously managed through WHO toward direct partnerships with other countries and organizations. Future coordination with WHO will be limited to matters related to finalizing the withdrawal process.
Officials cited delays in WHO’s declaration of a global health emergency during COVID-19’s early stages as a key factor in their decision. They noted that “the WHO delayed declaring a global public health emergency and a pandemic during the early stages of COVID-19, costing the world critical weeks as the virus spread.” During this period, WHO leadership publicly supported China’s response despite reports of underreporting and delayed confirmation of human-to-human transmission.
The statement also criticized WHO for downplaying asymptomatic transmission risks and not promptly acknowledging airborne spread. After the pandemic, officials said that “the WHO did not adopt meaningful reforms to address political influence, governance weaknesses or poor coordination,” which they argue undermined trust in global health efforts.
Concerns were also raised about transparency regarding COVID-19’s origins: “Its report evaluating the possible origins of COVID-19 rejected the possibility that scientists created the virus, even though China refused to provide genetic sequences from individuals infected early in the pandemic and information on the Wuhan laboratories’ activities and biosafety conditions.”
Looking ahead, U.S. officials stated: “The U.S. is the world’s leading force in protecting public health, saving lives and responding rapidly to infectious disease outbreaks.” They added that future efforts will focus on direct engagement with international partners—including governments, private sector entities, non-governmental organizations, and faith-based groups—to strengthen emergency response capabilities and biosecurity while prioritizing domestic protection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues its role in protecting national security by providing timely information on diseases both domestically and internationally. The CDC invests in local initiatives across communities to drive scientific research and data innovation aimed at safeguarding public health.
