The Lancet | July 8, 2020
Read the PublicationOn May 29, 2020, President Donald Trump announced the USA would sever its relationship with WHO and redirect funds to US global health priorities.1 On July 6, 2020, the US administration officially notified UN Secretary-General António Guterres of its intention to withdraw from WHO membership.2 This notification coincides with record daily increases in COVID-19 cases worldwide and rising infections in more than three-quarters of the US states.3, 4 In response, 750 leaders from academia, science, and law have urged the US Congress to block the president’s action.