FT says Trump intends to announce US withdrawal from WHO on inauguration day

US President-elect Donald Trump's team wants to announce the country's withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the day of his inauguration, January 20, the Financial Times reported.

Health experts spoken to by journalists said that such a move would have "catastrophic" consequences for the organisation, as the United States is the largest donor to the international organisation, with Washington providing 16% of its funding in 2022-2023.

In particular, Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, said a US withdrawal from the WHO would "leave a huge vacuum" in global health funding and there would be no one to fill the gap. He suggested that it would become more difficult for WHO to respond to emergencies, in addition to having to cut some of the organisation's scientific staff.

Trump began the process of withdrawing from the WHO back in 2020, accusing the organisation of being run by China, but the process has not been completed. When Joe Biden became president in 2021, he renewed relations with WHO.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this week that he hoped to continue working with Washington.