Overview
- The Washington Post reported that HHS is proposing to build U.S. laboratories, data‑sharing networks, and rapid‑response systems to substitute for access previously provided through the WHO.
- Officials cited in the reporting put the annual cost at roughly $2 billion, about triple the United States’ typical WHO payments of around $680 million in dues and voluntary contributions.
- Public health experts, including Tom Inglesby of Johns Hopkins, warn the proposed replacement would deliver narrower information and reduced global influence compared with WHO membership.
- Illinois and California have independently joined the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network to preserve access to international outbreak intelligence.
- The World Health Organization says the United States still owes more than $100 million in assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025.