WHO Prepares Case for U.S. to Stay Amid Trump’s Renewed Exit Threat

LONDON/GENEVA, Jan. 18 (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) is compiling a detailed list of reasons why the United States should remain a member, as supporters of the global health agency prepare to lobby incoming President Donald Trump, who previously moved to withdraw the U.S. during his last presidency. Two sources familiar with the process confirmed the effort to Reuters.

The U.S., the WHO’s largest donor, provides critical funding and expertise to the Geneva-based agency. Experts warn that its departure would not only weaken the WHO but also harm U.S. national security and its pharmaceutical industry. The list highlights risks such as losing access to vital disease surveillance data and being sidelined during global health crises.

“It would be a deep wound to the WHO, to health globally, but an even more grievous wound to the U.S. national interest,” said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health at Georgetown University and director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. “We are making that case as forcefully as we can.”

The WHO has not publicly pressured the U.S. to reconsider, instead emphasizing the need for time and expressing hope for continued collaboration. The list was reportedly requested by prominent American global health advocates, who plan to use it to underscore the risks of withdrawal.

Under U.S. law, a one-year notice period is required before the country can officially leave the WHO. Advocates, including scientists, businesses, former officials, and civil society groups, hope to use this window to change Trump’s mind. It remains unclear whether they will present their findings directly to the Trump transition team or through a public letter.

Other high-profile figures, including former British Prime Minister and WHO envoy Gordon Brown, have also voiced support for the WHO in recent weeks. The agency has reportedly been preparing for months, identifying activities that align with U.S. interests, even under a Trump administration.

“I know they have been identifying activities of WHO which would still be in the interest of the U.S., even in the eyes of a Trump administration,” said a Geneva-based diplomat from a major donor country, who was briefed on the WHO’s preparations.

The list outlines how the U.S. would lose access to critical information on emerging diseases, such as H5N1 avian flu, which could escalate into the next pandemic. It also emphasizes the importance of international flu surveillance data and the potential financial impact on U.S. pharmaceutical companies if they miss out on the latest WHO updates.

“If we hollowed WHO out … that is going to come back to the U.S. Germs don’t respect borders,” Gostin added.

The WHO did not respond to a request for comment on the list. However, experts in the U.S. suggest that if Trump signals plans to exit, additional steps may be taken, including potential lawsuits questioning whether the administration can withdraw without consulting Congress, which originally approved U.S. membership in 1948.

Reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London and Emma Farge in Geneva; editing by David Evans.