Summary

Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the second time.

The order citied “the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”

The order also criticized “unfairly onerous payments” made by the U.S. Health experts warn the move isolates the U.S., weakens global disease response, and risks delays in pandemic preparedness and vaccine innovation.

As the largest WHO funder since 1948, the U.S. exit could hinder global health efforts and leave the nation vulnerable to future health threats.