Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US To Leave World Health Organization Next January; WHO Unveils Cost Cuts
Becker's Hospital Review: US Sets WHO Exit Date
The United States will exit the World Health Organization on Jan. 22, 2026, Reuters reported Jan. 23. The planned exit comes after President Donald Trump signed a executive order Jan. 20 removing the U.S. from the WHO over "the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member state," the order said. (Ashley, 1/23)
Bloomberg: WHO Freezes Hiring And Cuts Costs After Trump Signals US Exit
The World Health Organization is freezing hiring, suspending investments and cutting non-essential travel in response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to take the US out of the global body. (Furlong, 1/24)
The Washington Post: Trump’s Anger Toward World Health Organization May Reshape Global Health, Politics
Public health experts say the United States’ departure could cripple the WHO’s operations or leave an opening for China to assume greater control over the agency. (Diamond and Sun, 1/24)
On PEPFAR and UNAIDS —
Bloomberg: Africa CDC To Push Local Health Funding Plans As US Move Puts HIV Relief At Risk
African countries need to quickly find ways to raise local health funding as programs including the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief may be reduced, the continent’s chief health advisory body said. The call comes after President Donald Trump decided to exit the World Health Organization, a move that threatens to undermine global health security. (Kew, 1/23)
Bloomberg: UN Official At Davos Slams World Bank-Funded Private Hospitals
The executive director of UNAIDS denounced the role of for-profit health care companies in low-income countries, saying that in some cases it led to denial of emergency care and patient detentions. Speaking during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Winnie Byanyima said that privately funded hospitals “will never guarantee the right to health for everybody.” (Furlong, 1/22)
