On the first day of his second term, January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization and suspend contributions to the body. Simultaneously, the U.S. released $600 million in funding for the Gavi vaccine alliance, a global coalition that expands access to immunizations, but explicitly excluded the WHO from that financial support.
A Condition for Continued Aid
In a joint statement, the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services said the move was in line with Trump's instructions to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate reforms with Gavi as a condition for renewed U.S. support. Gavi reportedly agreed to replace mercury-containing vaccines with mercury-free alternatives, a shift aligned with some U.S. policy preferences.
A Pattern of Distrust
This decision follows a long-standing feud between Trump and the WHO. In 2020, he had temporarily halted U.S. funding to the organization, criticizing its handling of the pandemic and accusing it of promoting misinformation from China. At the time, the U.S. contributed more than $400 million annually to the WHO. Then-President Joe Biden reversed the move in January 2021, restoring funding and halting the withdrawal process.
Experts suggest Trump's recent orders reflect ideological rather than strategic considerations. The WHO relies on both core member state funding and voluntary contributions, with the U.S. playing a major role in recent years. The agency’s $3.4 billion budget pales in comparison to the $9.3 billion allocated to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2023.
The WHO supports immunization programs and responses to health emergencies in regions struggling with healthcare access, including parts of Gaza, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The cut in U.S. funding may disrupt efforts to combat diseases like polio, malaria, and HIV, particularly in low-income countries.