Excerpt: “The World Health Organization (WHO) is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency charged with addressing global health. The United States played a key role in WHO’s establishment in 1948 and has historically been the organization’s largest financial contributor. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) announcing that the United States intends to withdraw from WHO, citing what he views as the ‘mishandling’ of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to adopt reforms, inappropriate political influence from some members, and ‘unfair funding practices.’ The EO pauses the future transfer of any U.S. funding, support, or resources to WHO; recalls and reassigns U.S. governmental personnel and contractors working at WHO; and calls for the identification of credible and transparent U.S. and international partners to assume activities undertaken by the organization. WHO stated that it ‘regrets’ the U.S. decision to withdraw and is reportedly taking steps to cut costs and reprioritize its programs.”
Report
(4 pages)