The divorce between the U.S. and WHO is final this week. Or is it?

"A year ago this week, President Trump initiated a divorce of sorts. As night fell on his inauguration day activities, he signed an executive order saying: He wants out of the World Health Organization, or WHO. His executive order laid out his displeasures, including "the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.""

"WHO officials note that there are two requirements to leaving. The first is that one-year notice. That would set the date for U.S. withdrawal as Jan. 22, a year after WHO officials were notified. In order to leave, the U.S. has to pay all the dues it owes. And that's a lot of money: $278 million for the 2024-2025 period."

President Trump initiated U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization by signing an executive order citing mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, failure to reform, and political influence from member states. Trump previously started formal withdrawal in 2020, which President Biden reversed on his first day. The current withdrawal includes a one-year notice, making Jan. 22 the effective date, but requires full payment of dues before departure. The United States owes $278 million for 2024–2025 and the State Department says the U.S. will not pay those amounts prior to withdrawal. Legal and diplomatic experts characterize the situation as a public, messy separation.

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