“The US withdrawal from the WHO became effective in late January 2026, ending Washington’s formal membership in the World Health Organisation after a one-year notice period triggered by an executive order signed on Inauguration Day of Donald Trump’s second term.” The Conversation (2 Feb 2026)
According to experts the US still owes WHO roughly $260m linked to 2024–2025 obligations.
The WHO has relied heavily on US funding for years, so the exit will result in the loss of about 2,371 posts by June 2026, close to a quarter of its workforce.
“Health experts warn that the loss of capacity will ripple across programmes that depend on rapid coordination. These include outbreak containment, antimicrobial resistance work and support for under-resourced health systems that often act as early-warning “firebreaks” for global spread.”