MIT Technology Review January 23, 2025
Pulling out will harm the US, as well as global public health.
On January 20, his first day in office, US president Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization. “Ooh, that’s a big one,” he said as he was handed the document.
The US is the biggest donor to the WHO, and the loss of this income is likely to have a significant impact on the organization, which develops international health guidelines, investigates disease outbreaks, and acts as an information-sharing hub for member states.
But the US will also lose out. “It’s a very tragic and sad event that could only hurt the United States in the long run,” says William Moss,...