Document Type : Editorial

Authors

1 Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

2 Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Future Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Centre for Global Chronic Conditions, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

4 Centre of Excellence for Global Health, Department of Global Health & Public Policy, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

5 Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

6 Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin 2, Ireland

7 School of Public Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA

8 Institute for Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

9 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

10 O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC, USA

11 Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

12 Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland

13 School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

14 Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

15 Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

16 Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

17 Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

18 Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

19 HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

President Trump’s 2025 decision to remove the United States (US) from the World Health Organization (WHO), echoing his initial 2020 move, raises existential questions about the future of global health governance. This editorial explores the immediate and long-term potential impacts of the withdrawal, noting that it poses a significant threat to the WHO financing. This, in turn, will have adverse consequences for future pandemic preparedness, health inequities, and cross-border collaboration. We also explore the potential role of private philanthropies in bridging the funding gap, against the risk of shifting health priorities away from local needs. For the US, withdrawal means diminished influence on global health policies and weaker alignment with new international regulations. Moving forward, structural reforms within the WHO, equitable contributions from global powers, and renewed US involvement are essential to maintain strong health systems worldwide. Ultimately, a collaborative approach is necessary to uphold collective preparedness against emerging health crises. 

Keywords