MENA Newswire, GENEVA: The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, ending nearly eight decades of membership in the UN health agency that coordinates global disease surveillance and emergency response. The withdrawal took effect on January 22, 2026, after a required one year notice period following a January 20, 2025 presidential directive ordering the move.
U.S. health and foreign policy officials said the United States ended its participation in WHO governing bodies and technical committees, and halted U.S. funding and staffing arrangements tied to the organization. U.S. agencies also began shifting or winding down activities previously conducted through WHO channels, including coordination mechanisms used during outbreaks and other public health events.
The administration said it based the decision on criticisms of WHO performance and governance, including its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for reforms. WHO, which is headquartered in Geneva, has said it regrets the decision and has emphasized the organization’s role in coordinating international responses to health threats, from epidemics to humanitarian emergencies.
The U.S. departure removes a major source of financial support and technical engagement from WHO, which works with member states on standards, guidance, and data sharing. U.S. experts and health groups have warned that withdrawal can reduce direct U.S. access to routine WHO coordination, including systems that consolidate information from multiple countries during fast moving outbreaks and other cross border health risks.
Global health ties and data sharing
One immediate issue has been the status of U.S. financial obligations. WHO and outside analysts have said the United States has unpaid assessed contributions from prior years, and that the organization has treated arrears as relevant to the withdrawal process. U.S. officials have not publicly provided a single consolidated figure in recent statements, while published estimates have varied by source and accounting method.
The withdrawal has also revived legal questions in the United States about the relationship between executive authority and statutes governing participation in international organizations. Congressional research and legal commentary have previously noted that U.S. membership in WHO is rooted in domestic law, and that withdrawal can be complicated by conditions tied to notice and financial commitments.
At the state level, California announced it would independently join the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, a WHO coordinated collaboration of institutions that support outbreak detection and response. California officials said the move is intended to strengthen rapid information sharing and operational coordination with international partners, even as the federal government ends formal ties with WHO.
California move and institutional transition
California said its participation in the network does not replace federal roles and is focused on technical cooperation for public health preparedness. The state’s announcement followed meetings between Governor Gavin Newsom and WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to California’s public statement.
WHO remains the central platform used by most countries for aligning guidance, convening experts, and coordinating international health regulations, including notification frameworks for certain public health events. With the United States now outside the organization, U.S. agencies will rely on alternative mechanisms for international coordination, including direct government to government engagement and cooperation with other multilateral and technical partners, as public health officials manage the operational transition.