The FT has learned of Trump's team's desire to withdraw the US from the WHO on Inauguration Day.

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

Representatives of the Republican team briefed health experts on this plan. They warned that this move would have "catastrophic" consequences for the global industry, the newspaper writes. The United States is the largest donor to the international organization, providing 16% of its funding in 2022–2023.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, stated that the US withdrawal from the WHO would "leave a huge vacuum" in global health funding, leaving no one to fill the gap. The organization would face "very difficult years, struggling to respond to health emergencies, and would have to significantly reduce its scientific staff," he warned.

In 2020, during his first term, Trump already initiated the process of withdrawing from the WHO, the FT recalls. At that time, the Republican suspended funding to the organization, blaming it for mistakes related to the spread ofCOVID-19 and claiming the agency was under Chinese control . The process was never completed, and Joe Biden , who succeeded Trump as president in 2021, rescinded his predecessor's order within hours of taking office.

According to Ashish Jha, former White House coronavirus coordinator, the Republican team wanted the US to withdraw from the WHO on January 20, as it would be a "symbolic response" to Biden's actions. Meanwhile, some Trump allies advocated solely for reform of the agency.

The president-elect's transition team and the WHO declined to comment on the possible US withdrawal from the organization. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this week that he hopes to continue cooperation with Washington.

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