Jakarta -The United States will leave the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 22, 2026. This was announced by the United Nations (UN) on Thursday, after being officially informed of the decision by US President Donald Trump.
Quoted from Reuters, Trump announced this on Monday, just hours after he was sworn in for a second four-year term. He accused the agency of mishandling the pandemic and other international health crises.
Regarding this matter, the WHO stated on Tuesday that they regret the steps taken by their main donor.
The US exit is likely to jeopardize various programs across the organization, according to several experts inside and outside the WHO, especially those dealing with tuberculosis, the world’s biggest killer infectious disease, as well as HIV-AIDS and other health emergencies.
The withdrawal order signed by Trump states that the government will halt negotiations regarding the WHO pandemic agreement while the withdrawal is ongoing. US government personnel working with the WHO will be withdrawn and reassigned, and the government will seek partners to take over necessary WHO activities, according to the order.
Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO was not unexpected. He took steps to withdraw from the organization in 2020 during his first term as president.
Before the last US withdrawal could be completed, Joe Biden won the presidential election and halted it on his first day in office on January 20, 2021.
