President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the World Health Organization means the U.N. agency is losing its biggest funder.

WHO’s constitution, drafted in New York, doesn’t have a clear exit method for member states. A joint resolution by Congress in 1948 outlined that the U.S. can withdraw with one year's notice. This is contingent, however, on ensuring that its financial obligations to WHO “shall be met in full for the organization’s current fiscal year.”

In this April 15, 2020 file photo, the logo and building of the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

If the U.S. withdraws funding and support from WHO, critical programs that support the survival of women and children will be at risk.

The United States will leave the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

As the WHO’s largest donor, the US departure raises critical concerns about funding, global health initiatives, and pandemic preparedness. Experts warn that this move could weaken international health collaboration,

President Donald Trump's order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health ... in Geneva, Switzerland, it is the largest international intergovernmental health organization, and its website says ...

A number of leaders are skipping this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

One of the world's biggest global health funders will ask the private sector for a steep increase in donations as concern of a shortfall in government contributions grows following a US decision to exit the World Health Organization.

More than half of Americans believe the U.S. benefits from its membership in the WHO. As of April 2024, 25% of U.S. adults say the country benefits a great deal from its membership, while about one third say it benefits a fair amount. Conversely, 38% say the U.S. does not benefit much or at all from WHO membership.

The Sahel region is a geographical belt in Africa that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, between the Sahara Desert in the north and the Savannah in the south. It is characterised by challenging environmental crises and conflicts.