US exits WHO leaving $260mn in dues

The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving behind nearly $260 million in dues, according to WHO estimates.

The withdrawal process was finalised on Thursday, one year after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the exit. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said all funding to the WHO has been halted and American personnel have been withdrawn from the organization’s headquarters and regional offices.

According to WHO accounts, US arrears stood at about $260 million as of January 2025. Lawrence Gostin, director of the Global Health Law Center at Georgetown University, described the move as a “highly chaotic separation.”

Health experts warn the decision could severely disrupt global programmes targeting HIV, polio, Ebola and pandemic preparedness. Between 2022 and 2023, the US contributed about $1.3 billion to the WHO. Infectious Diseases Society of America President Ronald Nahass termed the withdrawal an act of “scientific recklessness.”

The exit also cuts the US off from WHO’s global influenza surveillance and response systems, potentially weakening future vaccine development and pandemic readiness. Uncertainty remains over US participation in the WHO’s annual influenza vaccine meeting scheduled for February.

Alongside the WHO withdrawal, the US administration has introduced major changes to global health and humanitarian assistance. The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency has downsized USAID health programmes, while Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has withdrawn US support from the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi).

As an alternative, the US State Department has announced plans to establish its own disease surveillance framework with around 60 countries, positioning it as a substitute for the WHO-backed Pandemic Agreement.

WHO’s 193 member states are expected to discuss possible legal options to recover the unpaid US dues at the organization’s annual assembly in May.

Sources: Bloomberg, South China Morning Post