According to confirmation from the Department of Health, the United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday.

The move resulted from an executive order signed on January 20, 2025, at the beginning of President Donald Trump's new term, and raised concerns about its effects on global health. Trump had begun the withdrawal process during his first term (2017-2021) after criticizing the WHO's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The text questions the WHO's role in "other global health crises," its inability to implement reforms, and "its lack of independence from inappropriate political influence" from other member nations, alluding to China's influence over the agency. The U.S. government also justified the decision by pointing out that other countries with larger populations, such as China, do not pay dues equivalent to those of the United States, which they consider unfair treatment within the organization. On Thursday, an employee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that the country contributed up to 25% of the WHO's budget.