Who Needs WHO? Apparently not U.S.

Imagine if COVID-19 hadn’t yet hit the U.S., but was tearing through the rest of the world. 

Imagine having no warning, no universal data, no set global guidelines, and no communication 

with the international community. Imagine the U.S. completely left in the dark at the height of 

the pandemic.  

 

Can you even imagine it? Would you want to? 

 

This is exactly the type of risk we would be taking if the U.S. withdraws from the World Health 

Organization (WHO). 

 

On January 20, 2025, President Trump announced that the U.S. is expected to withdraw from 

the World Health Organization, with a 12-month notice period before taking effect. 

 

In my opinion, the WHO is the world’s first line of defense against rising health threats. It plays 

an immense role in disease surveillance: helping to prevent, track, monitor outbreaks all while 

warning other countries. It curates evidence-based global guidelines for diagnosing and treating 

disease which helps prevent chaos and misinformation during troubling times. It is a universal 

data hub we can rely on for accurate, timely information. 

 

Without the WHO, the U.S. would be cut off from global data which could delay our ability to 

respond to outbreaks. This would lead to more infections, more deaths, and more domestic 

chaos. 

 

Diseases aren’t people. They don’t respect borders. No matter how strong our public health 

infrastructure is, without global coordination, we will be vulnerable. 

 

Withdrawing from an organization like the WHO also risks the U.S.’s credibility in global health, 

leaving space for other powers to step in and fill the gaps. International collaboration would 

suffer and trust between nations would weaken. The exchange of vital information would no 

longer be standard. It would depend on whether another country was willing to share it. Now 

that doesn’t sound right. 

 

And how could we forget the economic toll? Not only would we suffer as a nation, but thousands 

of jobs would be impacted. Jobs in global health diplomacy, healthcare, research, medical 

journalism, and more are now in jeopardy. 

 

What’s the reasoning behind this decision? 

 

The Trump administration argues that the U.S. is funding a disproportionate amount of the 

WHO’s budget, around 12 to 15 percent. But what is 12 to 15 percent compared to the trillions of dollars pandemics have cost? That number is small next to the damage of being unprepared. 

Another reason given was that the WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. But the poor 

domestic response by the U.S. cannot be blamed on WHO. Take New Zealand, for example. 

They followed WHO guidelines and their results speak for themselves. 

 

What happens next? 

 

Only Congress can block the withdrawal from unfolding. In the meantime, U.S. institutions like 

the CDC and NIH should continue maintaining their connections with the WHO whether we 

withdraw or not. Diplomats and allies can help pressure the administration to reconsider this 

decision. 

 

We also need to educate the public on what global health security actually means and why 

credibility in global health matters. 

 

No country can face pandemics alone. Cutting ties with the WHO while we face universal health 

threats will only send the wrong message. It will leave us blind.