US to Build $2B WHO Alternative After Planned Exit | Becker’s Hospital Review
The Trump administration is proposing a $2 billion annual expenditure to create a U.S.-run global health security system, following the official completion of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 22, 2026, according to three administration officials.
The initiative, first reported by The Washington Post on February 19, aims to replicate the capabilities previously accessed through the WHO, including laboratory networks, data-sharing systems and rapid-response mechanisms. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is leading the effort in coordination with the White House, though the agency has not formally confirmed the $2 billion figure.
“HHS is working with the White House in a deliberative, interagency process on the path forward for global health and foreign assistance that first and foremost protects Americans,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated.
President Trump initially moved to withdraw the U.S. From the WHO in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that decision was reversed under the Biden administration. Upon returning to office, Trump reinstated the withdrawal process through an executive order signed in January 2025, citing “unfairly onerous payments” and concerns over the agency’s handling of global health crises. The U.S. Officially exited the WHO on January 22, 2026, as announced by HHS and the Department of State.
The proposed $2 billion annual investment represents roughly triple the amount the U.S. Historically contributed to the WHO, averaging around $680 million in member dues and voluntary contributions. The administration does not intend to pay $278 million in outstanding dues for the 2024-25 period, according to reporting from NPR on January 20.
Public health experts have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of fully replicating the WHO’s global reach and influence. Atul Gawande, former assistant administrator for global health for the U.S. Agency for International Development, told The Washington Post that the proposed U.S. System would lack access to information channels the WHO utilizes, particularly from countries like China and Russia, which do not routinely share health data directly with the United States.
The Trump administration’s decision to leave the WHO drew criticism from public health officials, who argued that it would diminish U.S. Access to critical information and weaken international efforts to combat diseases like polio and improve global children’s health. A senior HHS official, speaking on background, asserted that the WHO “strayed from its core mission and has acted contrary to the U.S. Interests in protecting the U.S. Public on multiple occasions,” focusing criticism on the agency’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic, including perceived delays in declaring a global health emergency and criticisms of early U.S. Travel restrictions.