Biden Said He’d Walk Back Trump’s WHO Walkout. Can All The Damage Be Undone?

The World Health Organization, a U.N. agency founded in 1948, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Trump had pledged to withdraw U.S. participation by July 2021. Biden says he will rejoin on the first day of his administration.

Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images

Back in July, President Trump’s administration began the formal process of withdrawing the U.S. – and its critical funding – from the World Health Organization. Trump had accused the U.N. agency of conspiring with China to downplay the infectiousness of the novel coronavirus early on. The withdrawal was to be complete in July 2021.

As a candidate, Biden vowed to reverse the decision on his first day in office. Global health experts are counting on President-elect Joe Biden to restore and reimagine the U.S. relationship with the world’s leading public health agency.

Under a Biden administration, “the relationship will be completely reset,” says Rifat Atun, a professor of global health systems at Harvard University.