Trump Considers Withdrawing from WHO...Concerns Over Impact on Global Disease Response Capacity

"Leaving a Vacuum in Global Health Financing and Leadership"

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly pushing for a plan to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) immediately upon taking office.

Donald Trump (right), President-elect of the United States, and Robert Kennedy Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Photo by Yonhap News

According to major local media on the 22nd (local time), members of the Trump transition team mentioned to multiple health experts that they plan to announce the withdrawal from WHO at the inauguration on January 20 next year. Inside the transition team, opinions clashed between staying within WHO to push for reforms and withdrawing, but the withdrawal faction is said to have gained the upper hand.

President-elect Trump also attempted to withdraw from WHO during his first term. In July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he criticized WHO for being biased toward China and notified the organization of the withdrawal.

However, formal withdrawal is possible only one year after notification, and since the current President Joe Biden, who took office after Trump, announced rejoining WHO immediately on his inauguration day in January the following year, the withdrawal did not materialize.

After winning this year's election, President-elect Trump has shown moves that foreshadow withdrawal from WHO. Notably, he nominated Robert Kennedy Jr., notorious as a "vaccine skeptic," as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Experts worry that if the United States withdraws from WHO, the global capacity to respond to diseases will suffer significant damage. This is because the U.S. was responsible for about 16% of WHO's budget in 2022?2023.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University, expressed concern, saying, "The U.S. withdrawal will leave a huge vacuum in global health financing and leadership, and no one will be able to fill that gap," warning that it could lead to disastrous consequences.

He pointed out that even if the U.S. withdraws, European countries are unlikely to increase their spending, which could further expand China's influence within WHO, stating, "It is not a smart move as it could hand over leadership to China."