• President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on January 20.

• The United States, the largest donor to the Geneva-based organisation, provides substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO’s operations.

• Its withdrawal is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could further disrupt global health initiatives.

• This marks the second time Trump has sought to sever ties with the WHO.

• During his first term, the US issued a notice of intent to withdraw, accusing the organisation of being overly influenced by China during COVID-19 pandemic’s early stages.

• That move was later reversed under Joe Biden’s administration.

World Health Organisation

• The WHO is an agency of the United Nations set up in 1948 to improve health globally. It has more than 8,000 people working in 150 country offices, six regional offices and its Geneva headquarters.

• The WHO has 194 Member States.

• Its director general is elected for a five-year term. 

• Since its inception in 1948, WHO has been hosted by the Swiss Federation. Its main building was inaugurated in Geneva in 1966. 

• The WHO’s stated aim is “to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable”.

• It has no power to impose health policies on national governments, but acts as an adviser and offers guidance on best practice in disease prevention and health improvement.

It has three main strands of work: 

i) Aiming for universal health coverage in every country.

ii) Preventing and responding to acute emergencies.

iii) Promoting health and well-being for all.

How is WHO funded?

• WHO gets its funding from two main sources: Member States paying their assessed contributions (countries’ membership dues), and voluntary contributions from Member States and other partners. 

• Assessed contributions are a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (the percentage is agreed by the United Nations General Assembly). Member States approve them every two years at the World Health Assembly. They cover less than 20 per cent of the total budget.

• The remainder of WHO’s financing is in the form of voluntary contributions, largely from Member States as well as from other United Nations organisations, inter-governmental organisations, philanthropic foundations, the private sector, and other sources.

US is the top donor to the WHO

• The United States is the top donor and partner to WHO, contributing through assessed contributions and voluntary funding. 

• The US contributed $1.28 billion during the 2022–2023 biennium, enabling work by WHO, the US and other countries and partners to identify and respond to emergencies, stop disease threats from spreading across borders and advance other key global health priorities.

• The US and WHO share a long-standing partnership, delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance to communities devastated by conflict, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks.

• The US and WHO are advancing global health security through their renewed five-year partnership, extending the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to 2028, in support of accelerating implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).

• Leadership from the US has been instrumental in protecting vulnerable populations — such as in Africa during the fight against deadly diseases like Ebola — and in ensuring health systems remain strong and responsive during crises. 

• By supporting WHO’s emergency health efforts, the US drives global health security, from preventing and preparing for future threats to delivering rapid response and recovery when it matters most.

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