US completes WHO exit, leaving $260 million in unpaid dues

The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation, one year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the exit. 

According to foreign media, the move leaves the US with unpaid financial obligations to the global health body totalling about US$260 million, figures calculated by the WHO indicate.

The Department of Health and Human Services said on January 22 that all US funding to the WHO has been terminated. In addition, US personnel working with the organisation have been recalled from its headquarters and regional offices, and Washington has 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 meaningful reforms, and lacking independence from what he described as inappropriate political influence.

Under a 1948 Congressional resolution governing US membership, the country was required to give one year’s notice before leaving the organization and to settle any outstanding debts. While the WHO has confirmed this requirement, a senior HHS official said there is no statutory obligation to pay the debt before completing the withdrawal. The WHO estimates the unpaid amount at roughly US$260 million as of January 2025.

The US exit deprives the WHO of its largest financial contributor. Between 2022 and 2023, Washington provided nearly US$1.3 billion to the agency. Public health experts have warned that the loss of US funding could jeopardise the WHO’s work to contain and prevent diseases such as HIV, polio, Ebola and influenza, and could weaken global preparedness for future pandemics.

The WHO is scheduled to discuss potential legal options related to the unpaid US debt at its World Health Assembly meeting in May, although the organisation has no enforcement mechanisms to compel payment. Legal experts have noted that the WHO could argue the US remains a member in name, albeit an inactive one, as long as the debt remains outstanding.

The withdrawal comes amid a broader pullback by the Trump administration from international health initiatives. The administration has reduced funding and engagement across several global health programs, while US officials say work is underway on alternative frameworks for international disease surveillance and cooperation. A senior HHS official said additional announcements on the US global health strategy are expected in the coming months and reiterated that there are no current or future plans for the US to rejoin the WHO.

By Tamilla Hasanova