The US has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the US Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday, finalizing a longstanding goal of President Donald Trump. HHS said WHO had delayed declaring a global public health emergency, which cost the world critical weeks as the virus spread. Some experts said trying to manage global health through agreements with individual countries would create a patchwork system that won’t replace what the World Health Organization can do. “The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization is a shortsighted and misguided abandonment of our global health commitments. “Withdrawing from the World Health Organization is scientifically reckless.

Source: CNN January 22, 2026 22:45 UTC