n News: The United States is set to formally withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) after completing a one-year notice period, despite concerns over global health governance.
World Health Organization (WHO)
- Type: Specialised agency of the United Nations
- Established: 7 April 1948 (observed as World Health Day)
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Membership: 194 Member States
Historical Background
- Originated from International Sanitary Conferences (1851–1938)
- Absorbed the League of Nations Health Organization after WWII
- Key achievements:
- Eradication of smallpox
- Near-eradication of polio
- Coordination during Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks
Core Functions of WHO
- Global health leadership: Pandemic & emergency response
- Standard setting: ICD, International Health Regulations (IHR)
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC) promotion
- Technical assistance: Policy advice & capacity building
- Health data & surveillance: Global statistics and early warnings
Process of U.S. Withdrawal
- Governed by U.S. domestic law
- Requires:
- One-year advance notice
- Full payment of outstanding dues
- Current withdrawal faces legal concerns due to reportedly unpaid dues
- Matter under discussion in WHO Executive Board
Significance of U.S. Withdrawal
- For WHO:
- Loss of ~18% of total funding
- Possible staff cuts and programme scaling-down
- For Global Health:
- Weakens pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance
- For the U.S.:
- Reduced access to real-time global health data
- Loss of influence in global health norm-setting
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
