The United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, defying international appeals and warnings from legal experts that the move breaches U.S. law. The decision also leaves a $260 million funding gap that Washington is required to pay before leaving the U.N. health agency.

Washington Cites WHO Failures, Halts Funding

President Donald Trump first announced the U.S. withdrawal on his first day in office in 2025, through an executive order. U.S. law mandates a one-year notice period and full payment of outstanding fees before departure, but the administration has moved ahead regardless.

A State Department spokesperson said the WHO had “failed to contain, manage and share information” during recent health crises, costing the U.S. “trillions of dollars.” The spokesperson added that the president had used his authority to halt any further transfers of government funds, support, or resources to the agency.

“The American people have paid more than enough to this organization,” the spokesperson said, calling the financial cost “a down payment” on any future obligations.

WHO and Experts Urge Reversal

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed disappointment, saying he hoped the U.S. would reconsider. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a loss for the United States, and it’s a loss for the rest of the world,” he told reporters earlier this month.

The WHO confirmed that the U.S. had not yet paid its 2024 and 2025 fees. Member states are expected to discuss the implications of the withdrawal during the agency’s executive board meeting in February.

“This is a clear violation of U.S. law,” said Lawrence Gostin, founding director of the O’Neill Institute for Global Health Law at Georgetown University. “But Trump is highly likely to get away with it.”

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, said he doubted the U.S. would return to the WHO soon. “The world needs the World Health Organization,” he said, pledging to continue advocating for re-engagement.

Global Health and Funding Implications

The U.S. exit has triggered a financial crisis at the WHO, forcing it to halve its management team, cut budgets across departments, and plan for a 25% reduction in staff by mid-year. Washington has historically been the agency’s largest contributor, providing around 18% of its total funding.

Without U.S. support, the WHO faces a major setback in global health coordination. Experts warn that the withdrawal weakens international efforts to detect and respond to pandemics, undermining both global and U.S. health security.

“The U.S. withdrawal from WHO could weaken the systems and collaborations the world relies on to detect, prevent, and respond to health threats,” said Kelly Henning, who leads the public health programme at Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The decision leaves the U.S. increasingly isolated on global health policy and raises questions about how it will cooperate in managing future international health emergencies.

with inputs from Reuters