United States leaves the World Health Organization after 77 years

Washington completes its withdrawal from the WHO, citing Covid-19 mismanagement, lack of reforms, and political influence

The United States leaves the World Health Organization, formally completing its withdrawal after 77 years of membership. The decision was announced today by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department, confirming that Washington will now coordinate with the WHO only in a limited capacity to implement the exit.

According to a statement released by the White House, the withdrawal is motivated by what the administration describes as the organization’s mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, its failure to enact urgent reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from inappropriate political influence by member states.

The move fulfills a pledge made one year ago by President Donald Trump, making official the United States’ departure from the UN health agency. The United States leaves the World Health Organization despite having been a founding member and its largest financial contributor for decades.

In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sharply criticized the organization’s direction. “Like many international organizations, the WHO has abandoned its core mission and has repeatedly acted against the interests of the United States,” they said. “Although the United States was a founding member and the largest financial supporter of the WHO, the organization has pursued a politicized and bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests.”

With the withdrawal now finalized, all US funding and personnel involved in WHO initiatives have been terminated. Rubio and Kennedy Jr. stressed that the United States will continue to play a leading role in global public health through alternative frameworks. They said Washington will focus on preventing infectious disease threats from reaching US territory while promoting global health security through direct, bilateral, and results-oriented partnerships.

The administration also emphasized a shift away from multilateral structures it considers inefficient. According to the statement, future cooperation will prioritize transparency, effectiveness, and measurable outcomes rather than what officials described as the “bloated and ineffective bureaucracy” of the WHO.

As the United States leaves the World Health Organization, the decision marks a significant turning point in international health governance, with Washington signaling a new strategy based on selective cooperation and national-led initiatives rather than centralized global institutions.

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