Trump announces US withdrawal from World Health Organization

Sub: IR

Sec: Int Org

Context:

On his first day back in office, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to implement reforms, and alleged political influence from member states, particularly China.
Trump had previously initiated a withdrawal in 2020, which was halted by President Joe Biden when he took office.

Legal Aspects of Withdrawal:

There is no formal provision for withdrawal in WHO’s constitution.
The US Congress, however, at the time of joining the organisation in 1948, had laid down a condition that said the country could withdraw after giving a one-year notice and meeting the financial obligations of the current year.

Financial Implications for the WHO:

The order pauses any future transfer of U.S. funds and resources to WHO.
The U.S. is one of the largest contributors to the WHO, accounting for approximately 5% of the organization’s assessed contributions and 13% of voluntary contributions. The withdrawal will have a significant financial impact on WHO’s operations.

WHO’s funding:

WHO’s funding essentially comes in two ways — the mandatory assessed contributions from all its member countries, and the voluntary contributions raised from various countries and organisations.
Assessed contributions (AC) are a percentage of a country’s Gross Domestic Product. The percentage is agreed by the United Nations General Assembly, based on a country’s wealth and population and approved by member states every two years at the World Health Assembly.
Over the years, the assessed contributions have remained stagnant and now cover less than 20% of the organisation’s budget.
In assessed contributions, the United States is the biggest payer, accounting for 22.5% of the contributions, followed by China at 15%.
In voluntary contributions too, the US is still the biggest donor, accounting for around 13% of the total contributions in 2023, China accounted for merely about 0.14%.

Implications for Global Health:

S. withdrawal would leave a leadership void that China could exploit, giving it more political leverage in global health matters.
WHO heavily relies on S. funding, staff, and expertise, particularly for critical areas like global influenza tracking. The loss of U.S. involvement would significantly weaken the organization’s ability to address health emergencies.