US Completes WHO Withdrawal After Nearly Eight Decades

ANKARA, Jan 23 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation, ending nearly 78 years of membership in the United Nations health agency, US officials said, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The departure took effect on Jan 22, 2026, following the required one-year notice period under international rules.

In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the move, saying the US had withdrawn from the WHO and freed itself from the organisation’s constraints.

The officials cited what they described as the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its handling of the outbreak that began in Wuhan, China.

They accused the agency of pursuing a politicised and bureaucratic agenda, obstructing timely information-sharing and acting against US interests under the influence of nations hostile to the US.

They said US engagement with the WHO will now be limited strictly to carrying out the withdrawal process and safeguarding the health and safety of the American people.

All US funding for and staffing of WHO initiatives has ceased, according to the statement.

US personnel have been recalled, and the country has shifted its focus to direct bilateral partnerships and independent approaches to global health efforts, the officials said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly expressed regret over the decision, describing the withdrawal as a lose-lose situation and saying it is not the right decision.

WHO was founded on April 7, 1948.

The United States was among the original signatories of its constitution in 1946 and formally ratified it in June 1948, becoming a founding member.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU