For the First Time, the U.S. Is Absent From WHO’s Annual Assembly. What’s the Impact?
- In a departure from nearly eight decades of participation, the U.S. Was absent from the 2025 World Health Assembly in Geneva, where delegates from 194 countries convened on May 20 to address global health issues.
- The U.S. Withdrawal followed President Donald Trump's January 20 announcement criticizing WHO's Covid-19 response and initiating a year-long exit process that had left WHO with a significant budget shortfall.
- At the Assembly, several countries including China, Qatar, and Switzerland committed more than US$170 million through a combination of increased mandatory contributions and voluntary donations to help compensate for the anticipated funding gap caused by the U.S. Withdrawal.
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the newly secured resources will enable the continuation and expansion of critical health initiatives, as member states consented to a 20% increase in mandatory contributions over two years and approved a revised budget of US$4.2 billion.
- The U.S. Absence and funding gaps are expected to affect WHO's global health initiatives and the U.S.'s ability to collaborate internationally, with experts calling for urgent reforms and private sector support amid this challenging climate.
24 Articles
24 Articles
For the first time, the U.S. is absent from WHO’s annual assembly. What’s the impact?
It’s the biggest global health meeting of the year. And the United States won’t be taking a seat at the table.This week, representatives from the 194 countries of the World Health Organization — minus the U.S. — are gathering in Geneva to discuss and vote on policies that will shape global health in the years and decades to come. The topics will range from preparing for the next pandemic to preventing lung cancer by cutting air pollution.So wher…


WHO Approved 21% of the Budget Under the Forecast Due to the U.S. Exit
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