The transition team of US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) on its first day in office, according to a report by the Financial Times. Public health experts are raising alarms about the potential global impact of such a move.
“America is going to leave a huge vacuum in global health financing and leadership. I see no one that is going to fill the breach,” a health expert warned in the report.
The US is the largest donor to the WHO, providing approximately 16% of its funding for the 2022-23 biennium. If the withdrawal goes ahead, it would significantly disrupt global health programs reliant on American contributions.
Trump previously severed ties with the WHO during his first term in 2020, accusing the UN health agency of failing to adequately address the initial outbreak of COVID-19. The move was heavily criticized by public health officials and international allies at the time.
The report comes shortly after Trump named vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his nominee to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services, signaling a potentially dramatic shift in US health policy.
The prospect of US withdrawal from the WHO has sparked concern among health experts and policymakers worldwide, with many questioning how the gap in funding and leadership could be addressed in critical areas such as pandemic preparedness and global vaccination initiatives.
