The withdrawal of the United States from the WHO...

A few hours after his inauguration, the new U.S. president, Donald Trump, signed several executive orders, including one directing the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). This decision, made on January 20, is based on financial disparities between U.S. and Chinese contributions. “We paid $500 million to the WHO when I was here, and I ended it. They wanted us to come back so badly. We’ll see what happens”, Trump said, emphasizing that China contributes $39 million compared to the United States’ $500 million.

This is the second time that Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the WHO, even though the United States is one of the organization’s largest financial contributors, providing 14% of its total budget. This decision could weaken the WHO’s ability to carry out its work, particularly in Africa, where it plays a key role in strengthening health systems, combating diseases, and managing health crises.

The WHO has been a major player in the response to COVID-19 in Africa, facilitating vaccine access through the COVAX program and coordinating efforts among countries to contain the pandemic. The U.S. withdrawal could jeopardize these achievements and exacerbate the challenges faced by African health systems.

Additionally, this decision comes amid growing health crises. On January 16, 2025, the WHO launched an emergency appeal to raise $1.5 billion to meet the needs of 305 million people affected by conflicts, climate change, and epidemics.

The European Union has responded by assuring that it will do everything it can to fill the financial gap left by the United States, despite its own budgetary constraints. However, this situation highlights the need for African countries to diversify their funding sources to ensure the resilience of their health systems.