Trump's team plans WHO exit on first day of second term: Report

Critics warn that a US withdrawal could undermine global disease surveillance and emergency response systems.

Members of Donald Trump's presidential transition team are planning for the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization on the first day of his second term, according to a report by Reuters.

"I have it on good authority that he plans to withdraw, probably on Day One or very early in his administration," Lawrence Gostin, professor of global health at Georgetown University in Washington and director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, told Reuters.

The Financial Times was first to report on the plans, citing two experts. According to FT, the departure would remove the WHO’s biggest source of funds, damaging its ability to respond to public health crises such as the coronavirus pandemic. The US is the WHO’s largest single donor, providing about 16 per cent of its funding in 2022-23.

“America is going to leave a huge vacuum in global health financing and leadership. I see no one that is going to fill the breach,” said Gostin told FT.

He said if the US left the WHO, European countries were unlikely to step up funding and China might try to wield more influence. “It would not be a smart move as withdrawal would cede leadership to China,” he said.

Trump initiated the US withdrawal process from the WHO in 2020, accusing the health organisation of being overly influenced by China. In a press statement the government had said, “Unfortunately, the World Health Organization has failed badly by those measures, not only in its response to Covid-19, but to other health crises in recent decades. In addition, WHO has declined to adopt urgently needed reforms, starting with demonstrating its independence from the Chinese Communist Party.”

However, Trump had not secured a consecutive term in office, leading to President Joe Biden’s administration repairing ties with the WHO during his tenure.

Trump will take office on January 20 after defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November's presidential election.