The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a joint announcement made on Thursday by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In a statement, the officials said the decision was driven by what they described as the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic. They confirmed that all US funding to the agency has been halted and that any remaining engagement will be limited to finalising procedural aspects of the withdrawal.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that the United States is no longer participating in the WHO’s activities. Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation has already implemented budget cuts to address the funding gap created by the US exit.
