Africa-Press – Kenya. The United States left the World Health Organization on Thursday with an official saying the agency had strayed from its core mission and acted contrary to American interests.
But public health experts have criticised the move saying it will disadvantage the US when it comes to responding to health crises.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the country from the WHO on his first day back in the White House on 20 January 2025.
The United Nations received the formal notice two days later.
Under the organisation’s charter, the withdrawal takes effect one year after the notice is given, which means the US has now officially exited the world body.
“I think that this weakens America’s influence in global politics, global policy, and global health,” said Omer Awan, a US expert on public health.
He emphasised that as the world’s leading authority on public health, the WHO plays a central coordinating role in global health governance, and its role should be strengthened, not undermined.
“Global health is national policy and national security. It’s a national security issue because the World Health Organization is critical for disease surveillance.”
He said that without things like updating vaccine standards and sharing data, the US is vulnerable.
“We’re vulnerable to pandemics, we’re vulnerable to infectious diseases that can surge here in America,…we’re literally less prepared for a pandemic,” he said.
He further cautioned that the US withdrawal would not halt the WHO’s operations, but would significantly reduce American influence in global health affairs.
“Many other countries will not view us as a global health power. Global health policy doesn’t stop when the United States removes itself from the World Health Organization. Our influence stops,” he said.
