US set to quit World Health Organization

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

January 22, 2026 9:47 AM EST Updated 8 mins ago


LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. is due to officially exit the World Health Organization on Thursday, in the face of warnings it will hit both U.S. health and global health and also in violation of a U.S. law that requires Washington to pay the U.N. health agency $260 million in fees that it owes.

President Donald Trump gave notice that the U.S. would quit the organization on the first day of his presidency in 2025, via an executive order. Under U.S. law, it has to give one-year notice and pay all outstanding fees before departure.

On Thursday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said the WHO's failure to contain, manage and share information had cost the U.S. trillions of dollars and the president had exercised his authority to pause the future transfer of any U.S. government funds, support, or resources to the WHO. "The American people have paid more than enough to this organization and this economic hit is beyond a down payment on any financial obligations to the organization," the spokesperson said by email.

QUICK RETURN UNLIKELY

Over the last year, many global health experts have urged a rethink, including most recently WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. I hope the U.S. will reconsider and rejoin WHO,” he told reporters at a press conference earlier this month. “Withdrawing from the WHO is a lose for the United States, and it’s a lose for the rest of the world.”

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-set-quit-world-health-organization-2026-01-22/

[LiberalArkie]

1. Ahh, easy way to quit the vaccines. No advance knowledge from WHO, no preventative vaccine

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "No advance knowledge from WHO, no preventative vaccine"

WHO publishes their work continually and the many medical societies around the U.S. will just consult with that and any research publications as needed. They have already dismissed CDC and states are setting up their own consortiums.

[LiberalArkie]

7. Yep... The states can try, but with no access to the WHO data, they we are at where Trump wanted us when Covid first hit

[BumRushDaShow]

8. "but with no access to the WHO data"

???

WHO publishes their data as well as has meetings/conferences/calls and streamed meetings, etc. So unless the U.S. completely shuts down the internet and phone systems, their data would be accessible.

[LiberalArkie]

11. I feel the states can get the data from the EU. But if Trump does not allow any US pharma companies from production

or even deny a EU vaccine US access.

I just remember back when the US Army researchers at Wuhan found it they were fired by the US and removed.

The reichmarshall hoped it would do what they wanted, but we survived. I am pessimistic about everything. I am too old now..

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Big pharma always considered vaccines as "loss leaders"

and FDA/CDC had to beg them to continue to make them. Most required a lot of processes (due to use of eggs for incubation of a number of them), so they really didn't want the hassle.

HOWEVER the whole mRNA thing (and the research done for a vax for COVID) was literally like a lightning bolt in the pharma biologics/vaccine industry, and applying that tech to other vaccines, as well as to various treatments, suddenly became a money-maker. And it didn't require the eggs.

I know your hypotheticals are going into the realm of draconian and dystopian and we are probably headed that way. But then I think the courts will intervene before we get that far. We are watching that play out with mifepristone (the abortion pill) and access.

[dem4decades]

2. He's going to kill us all.

[Rebl2]

3. My

thought too

[wolfie001]

4. Dr. Odd the POS sellout and the womanizing buffoon RFK Jr.

What a farcical tragedy. Complete imbeciles.

[Hey Joe]

6. Poorer, sicker and dumber

That is the grand plan the oligarchs have for America and the world at large.
They will keep enough people alive to operate the machinery and do the grunt work.

[Bayard]

9. Anyone think he'll pay that $260 million?

How in the world does the imbecile think WHO hasn't shared info?

[fujiyamasan]

10. He didn't get to kill enough of us during COVID

This is his chance.

[Initech]

12. Worst administration ever!

Fuck every single person who says "this is what I voted for!". Well, you voted for a shitty asshole and his cabinet full of James Bond villains. You voted to destroy this country from within. Fuck you and may you rot in hell.