The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) after nearly eight decades of membership, federal officials announced Thursday, capping a years-long battle over the agency’s pandemic response and global health role.

The US exit, initiated by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office in 2025, brings to an end Washington’s 78-year participation in the UN-linked health body. Although the formal departure now stands, key loose ends — including more than $130 million in unpaid dues — remain unresolved.

Officials acknowledged that some technical issues still need ironing out, particularly loss of access to international health data that previously helped the United States track emerging disease threats.

Public health experts quickly warned that the withdrawal could weaken global disease surveillance and hamper responses to outbreaks like polio, influenza, and future pandemics. The United States had been one of WHO’s largest funders and a major contributor of scientific personnel and expertise.

Critics argue that reduced engagement — including withdrawal from WHO governance and technical forums — may limit US influence on vital health policy decisions and undermine pandemic preparedness. 

Trump supporters defended the exit as fulfilling a long-standing campaign promise to reduce what they described as the WHO’s failures in transparency and pandemic management. The administration has instead pursued bilateral “America First” health agreements with partner nations, focusing on disease control aligned with US strategic interests.

The WHO has expressed regret at the decision, underscoring the agency’s role in coordinating global health security. Several health advocates cautioned that the absence of US leadership in WHO could create gaps in global coordination, especially in low-income countries reliant on WHO support.

As Washington transitions to alternative regional and bilateral health partnerships, observers will be watching how this reshapes global health governance and whether other countries follow suit in distancing themselves from the WHO framework.