US exits WHO leaving behind $260 million in unpaid dues

In a big geopolitical shift, the United States has officially terminated its membership from the World Health Organization (WHO). The announcement was jointly made by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department. Soon after the decision, the American flag was removed from outside the WHO headquarters in Geneva, marking a symbolic end to a long-standing association. The US has confirmed that it will now engage with the global health body only in a limited manner to ensure a smooth exit process.A senior US health official stated that the country has no intention of joining the WHO even as an observer. He said the United States would instead prioritise bilateral cooperation with other nations on issues such as disease surveillance and critical health challenges. According to him, the decision reflects Washington's loss of confidence in the organisation, which it accuses of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and failing to carry out necessary reforms.
The US reiterated that the WHO displayed poor crisis management during the pandemic and did not implement structural reforms despite repeated demands. President Donald Trump had signed an executive order on his first day in office during his second term, initiating the country's withdrawal from the WHO. Under American law, a one-year notice is mandatory before completely exiting a United Nations agency.The WHO has claimed that the United States still owes nearly 260 million dollars in membership fees for 2024 and 2025. A spokesperson for the organisation said that without clearing pending dues, a complete separation is not possible. However, US officials deny that outstanding payments are a prerequisite for withdrawal. They argue that all WHO-related funding had already been halted under the Trump administration due to what they describe as economic losses caused by the organisation.
The debt totals about $260 million as calculated by the WHO in January 2025.  “It’s a very messy divorce,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO collaborating centre on national and global health law at Georgetown University. The withdrawal notice left the health organisation without its top donor. Between 2022 and 2023, the US contributed nearly $1.3 billion to the WHO.