How will Trump’s pull-out from WHO impact the global body?

One of Donald Trump’s biggest moves on day one of the second term of his presidency was to pull the US out of the World Health Organization (WHO).

It was not Trump’s first effort.

The president had last taken steps to withdraw the US from the UN health bloc in 2020 in the last year of his first term, accusing the WHO of helping China to “mislead the world” about the origins of the coronavirus.

US law requires a one-year notice period to quit the body and the payment of outstanding fees. That’s why Trump’s withdrawal in 2020 never grew to full potential. Joe Biden nipped that in the bud on his first day in office on January 20, 2021.

This time, Trump will be able to see it through.

Once he obtains congressional approval and Washington meets its financial obligations to the WHO for the current fiscal year, Washington should be all set to pull out.

The impact on the WHO is set to be massive. After all, the US, which helped create the organisation, has financially supported and backed it since its inception in 1948.

In a statement on Tuesday, WHO regretted Trump’s move and hoped he would reconsider.

Over the last 75 years, the UN’s health agency has grown to a bloc that coordinates global response to various threats – from mpox to polio –, provides technical assistance to less-developed countries, and helps distribute vaccines, supplies and treatments.

How will the lack of US backing impact the health body?

Under the fresh executive order rescinding Biden’s annulment of Trump’s original directive, the future transfer of government funds and support or resources to be allocated to the WHO has been paused.

The US is the biggest donor to WHO, providing $1.284 billion to the health body between 2022–2023.

Experts say a halt in funding will affect the WHO’s ability to respond to numerous global health initiatives, such as combatting Ebola. They point to US funding as instrumental in activating WHO’s emergency response, ultimately avoiding the need for potential deployment of US troops to West Africa.

Analysts say European economies will be unable to plug the gap in funding as they deal with their respective political crises in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other parts of the European Union.

A US exit from the WHO would leave both parties with a dearth of intelligence and expertise with blind spots galore. The UN body would no longer have access to establishments that provide vital information and data like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and vice versa.

Above all, they say that it will reduce the US’s global standing.

“Withdrawing from WHO not only cuts crucial funding from the agency, but it also surrenders our role as a global health leader and silences America’s voice in critical decisions affecting global health security,” Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of the advocacy group Resolve to Save Lives, said in a statement.

Experts say both the lack of funds and intelligence will contribute to a delayed response from the bloc, not only in the event of the next global pandemic but with currently existing programmes, like those dealing with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Leaving the WHO would prevent US involvement in vaccine composition and epidemic response initiatives. American scientists would also lose access to key WHO genetic databases, hindering vaccine and medicine development.

It is unclear what would be the fate of WHO collaborating centres in the US. The US hosts 72 – more than any other nation – of these institutions that serve as research centres or as part of universities.

Trump’s order said that US government personnel working with the WHO would be reassigned, and the government would find partners to take over the organisation’s activities.

Also at stake are various partnerships and programmes in which the US and the WHO are engaged, like the body’s pandemic treaty. According to Trump’s executive order, the administration would cease negotiations on the treaty, which seeks to harness a holistic government and societal approach to combating the next pandemic.

Trump has also directed the government to “review, rescind, and replace” the 2024 US Global Health Security Strategy under the order.

The true scale of the withdrawal will only be felt after the absence of the US. Until then, the US and the WHO will have to recalibrate with their new responsibilities and funding, and potential growing influence from China.