US finalizes exit from WHO, leaving $260 million in unpaid dues
One year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), the process was formally completed on Thursday, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
All US funding to the WHO has been terminated, and American personnel working with the organization have been recalled from regional offices and headquarters. Washington has also ended its participation in WHO leadership bodies and technical working groups.
Trump ordered the withdrawal on the first day of his second term, accusing the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, failing to implement reforms, and lacking independence from what he described as “inappropriate political influence.”
Under a 1948 Congressional resolution, the US was required to provide one year’s notice and settle outstanding financial obligations. The WHO estimates the outstanding US debt at about $260 million as of January 2025. A senior official from Department of Health and Human Services said there is no statutory requirement to pay the debt prior to withdrawal.
“It’s a very messy divorce,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.
The US had been the WHO’s largest donor, contributing nearly $1.3 billion between 2022 and 2023. Health experts warn the loss of funding could undermine global efforts to combat HIV, polio, and Ebola.
The European Union urged Washington to reconsider, while Argentina has also announced plans to leave the WHO. The organization is expected to discuss legal options related to the outstanding US financial obligations at its May assembly, though enforcement mechanisms are limited.
Earlier, in February 2025, Qazinform News Agency reported that the World Health Organization reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing reforms and global health preparedness following the decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the organization.
