‘Sowing seeds for next pandemic’: Trump order for US to exit WHO prompts alarm

Donald Trump has announced that the US will exit the World Health Organization and suspend all foreign aid for three months, in a move that will leave critical humanitarian work in jeopardy and threaten the global fight against infectious diseases.

In an executive order signed on his first day in office, Trump declared that the US would leave the UN global public health agency in 12 months’ time and stop all financial contributions to its work.

Washington is by far the WHO’s biggest financial backer, contributing about 18% of its overall funding. The Geneva-based agency’s most recent two-year budget, for 2024-25, was $6.8bn.

In a separate executive order, Trump announced a pause on foreign development assistance for 90 days pending a review, in a move that will leave aid organisations scrambling to see if they are affected.

WHO projects across the world are seen as a vital backup for health crises, with the agency taking the lead in combating diseases, particularly in poorer countries and conflict zones. It has coordinated international responses to mpox, Ebola and polio.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the WHO said it “regrets” the announcement, adding that it “plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans”.

Separately, the German health minister, Karl Lauterbach, said his government would “try to persuade Donald Trump to reconsider this decision”.

Lauterbach said the new US president’s announcement was “a serious blow to the international fight against global health crises”.

Nick Dearden, the director of the Global Justice Now advocacy group, said that just a few years after the worst pandemic in a century, “it should be clear how much we all need a well functioning WHO”.

“We need a body, internationally, which can put healthcare ahead of profits and self-interest,” he said. “The WHO once played that role, which is why US elites hate it.”

Trump claims the WHO failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and requires “unfairly onerous payments” from the US that are disproportionate to the sums provided by other larger countries, such as China.

“World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen any more,” Trump said at the signing.

Members of the global health community said that Trump’s decision could backfire on the US.

Dr Pete Baker, deputy director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development thinktank, said the decision to withdraw was “highly regrettable”.

“It undermines global health security and risks progress on critical issues like pandemic preparedness and antimicrobial resistance,” he said.

“However, it is worth putting the US withdrawal into perspective,” he added. “If other member states or philanthropists step up and provide more flexible funding – even if it’s less than the US provides – this could help WHO be more agile and focused in delivering its mandate.”

A bigger threat, Baker said, came from an accompanying withdrawal of US support from attempts to negotiate a pandemic agreement.

“The political support of the US for the global health security architecture is irreplaceable. If this continues, it will seriously hamper the world’s efforts to ensure preparedness for future health threats,” he said.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University, said leaving the WHO would leave Americans vulnerable, as US health agencies and pharmaceutical companies rely on WHO data for vaccines and therapies.

“He’s unraveling US engagement & funding now. That’s unlawful & a grave strategic error,” Gostin said on X. “Trump could be sowing the seeds for the next pandemic.”

News of the US defunding of the WHO caused concern in Kenya, where about 1.5 million people living with HIV rely on antiretroviral therapy supported in part by US-funded programmes.

Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO is not unexpected. He took steps to quit the body in 2020, during his first term as president, accusing the WHO of aiding China’s efforts to “mislead the world” about the origins of Covid-19. That move was later reversed under Joe Biden’s administration.

The WHO denies the allegation and says it continues to press Beijing to share data to determine whether Covid-19 emerged from human contact with infected animals or due to research into similar viruses in a domestic laboratory.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing would continue supporting the WHO. “The role of the WHO should only be strengthened, not weakened,” Guo Jiakun said.

“China will, as always, support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities … and work towards building a shared community of health for humanity.”

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report