Newsletter

Newsletter

The U.S. Departure From the WHO

Contributors explore the implications of the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization

U.S. President Donald Trump sits at his desk, behind a hat that reads "America is back" at the White House, in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2026.
Governance

President Trump's Mark on Global Health and Human Rights

by Lawrence O. Gostin

A nation that gave birth to grand societal achievements has now shattered the norms and values of international policy

U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington, DC, on October 9, 2025.
Governance

The United States Leaves the WHO. Three Reforms Could Motivate Its Return

by Peter Singer

A former special advisor to the WHO director general outlines arenas that could strengthen global health regardless of a U.S. withdrawal

A WHO flag is pictured during the 70th World Health Assembly, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 23, 2017.
Governance

The WHO Could Mend Its U.S. Breakup By Playing the Waiting Game

by Thomas J. Bollyky, Elena Every

The World Health Organization still has a trump card to play in its contested separation with the United States

A woman and her child, who is suffering from malnourishment, wait for care at the emergency ward of Dikwa Primary Health Center, where children are stabilized for severe malnutrition, following the withdrawal of USAID support, in Dikwa, Borno State, Nigeria, on August 27, 2025.
Governance

What U.S. Withdrawal From the World Health Organization Means for Africa

by Ebere Okereke

A Chatham House fellow explains how, from an African perspective, the decision stripped away comforting assumptions about global health cooperation