POLICY BRIEF article

Front. Public Health

Sec. Public Health Policy

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1589010

The Global Implications of U.S. Withdrawal from WHO and the USAID Shutdown: Challenges and Strategic Policy Considerations

Provisionally accepted
Auwal  Rabiu AuwalAuwal Rabiu Auwal1*Abubakar  Sunusi IshakAbubakar Sunusi Ishak2Shuaibu  Saidu MusaShuaibu Saidu Musa3Abbas  MusaAbbas Musa4Abubakar  saaduAbubakar saadu5Anila  RiazAnila Riaz5
  • 1Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 2School of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, bangkok, Thailand
  • 3Department of Nursing Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, zaria, Nigeria
  • 4Department of Biochemistry Bayero University Kano, Nigeria, kano, Nigeria
  • 5Department of Biochemistry, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand, bangkok, Thailand

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and the shutdown of USAID disrupt global health governance, threatening disease surveillance and reversing progress made in combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria through initiatives like PEPFAR.• The WHO's central role in coordinating global health responses, exemplified by its leadership in the COVAX initiative, is critical to pandemic preparedness and equitable vaccine distribution.• The disengagement decision undermines humanitarian relief efforts, particularly in fragile states where U.S. contributions are vital for food security, education, and healthcare.• This policy brief outlines actionable recommendations to mitigate the risks of U.S. disengagement, focusing on regional health capacity-building, public-private partnerships, and the continuation of critical investments in global health systems.

Keywords: USAID, WHO, Pandemic preparedness, Global Health Security, HIV/ AIDS

Received: 06 Mar 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Auwal, Ishak, Saidu Musa, Musa, saadu and Riaz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Auwal Rabiu Auwal, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

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