The Financial Times website reported on December 22 that President-elect Trump's team is pushing for the U.S. to announce its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the first day of his presidency. According to sources, this decision may be officially announced on January 20, the day Trump takes the oath of office.
The report, quoting expert opinions, states that as the largest financial contributor to the WHO, the U.S. withdrawal would have a "catastrophic" impact on global public health. The WHO faces the risk of significant budget cuts and could lose crucial support in dealing with global public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts warn that this move would severely weaken the WHO's ability to coordinate global health affairs, particularly hindering efforts in vaccine development, disease prevention, and health infrastructure support. Moreover, the U.S. exit from the WHO might trigger a ripple effect in the international community, exacerbating resource scarcity and uncertainty in global health governance.
Trump's team has not yet officially commented on this plan, but the news has already sparked widespread discussion. Many public health experts and international organizations have expressed concern about this possibility, urging the new administration to reconsider the decision to avoid irreversible negative impacts on global public health security.
Background Analysis
The U.S. previously announced its withdrawal from the WHO in 2020, but the Biden administration rejoined in 2021. Trump's team once again pushing for an exit from the WHO raises profound concerns about U.S. health policy and prospects for global cooperation. How the international community will respond to potential changes will be a major challenge for global health governance.
