Withdrawal from WHO undermines US global influence, heightens its pandemic vulnerability: expert

The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) will diminish its global influence and leave it more vulnerable to pandemics, warned a U.S. expert on public health.

On his first day back in the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the country from the WHO. The United Nations received the formal notice two days later.

Under the organization's charter, the withdrawal takes effect one year after the notice is given, which means the US has, procedurally, officially withdrawn from the WHO on Thursday (January 22, 2026).

"I think that this weakens America's influence in global politics, global policy, and global health," said Omer Awan, a U.S. expert on public health.

Awan emphasized that as the world's leading authority on public health, the WHO plays a central coordinating role in global health governance, and its role should be strengthened, not undermined.

"Global health is national policy and national security. It's a national security issue because the World Health Organization is critical for disease surveillance. Things like updating vaccine standards, sharing data, and without that, the United States is vulnerable. We're vulnerable to pandemics, we're vulnerable to infectious diseases that can surge here in America. When we pull out, when the United States pulls out, we're less prepared, we're literally less prepared for a pandemic, we have less access to critical data that can inform our public health policy. For these reasons, this is why we become more vulnerable to the threats of a future pandemic," he said.

He further cautioned that the U.S. withdrawal would not halt the WHO's operations, but would significantly reduce American influence in global health affairs.

"We will lose our influence significantly and many other countries will not view us as a global health power. Global health policy doesn't stop when the United States removes itself from the World Health Organization. Our influence stops when we remove ourselves from the World Health Organization," he added.

Withdrawal from WHO undermines US global influence, heightens its pandemic vulnerability: expert

Withdrawal from WHO undermines US global influence, heightens its pandemic vulnerability: expert

Withdrawal from WHO undermines US global influence, heightens its pandemic vulnerability: expert

The Gold and silver futures hit new record highs on Thursday as investors were flocking to safer assets.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the most-active February gold futures contract soared past 4,900 U.S. dollars per ounce during the session, while March silver futures climbed above 96 U.S. dollars per ounce.

Chart-based buying was the feature of the day as both metals remained in firmly bullish technical postures.

Benefiting from rising investment demand, robust industrial consumption and dwindling physical supplies, silver prices have risen 31 percent so far in January after soaring nearly 150 percent in 2025.

More market analysts are becoming increasingly cautious on the precious metal, as the odds of a major drawdown in silver prices have risen.

A speculative frenzy has become the major driving force behind the silver rally, and this could prove to be unsustainable. Moreover, the magnitude of the latest upsurge is difficult to justify by fundamentals. Analysts noted that there are clear signs of "Fear of Missing Out"-driven buying.

Silver's surge to fresh record highs could eventually be self-defeating, analysts said.

Analysts favor gold over other precious metals, arguing that it has the most attractive risk-reward profile. Besides safe-haven demand, gold will be the sole beneficiary of the broad-based efforts of emerging market central banks to diversify their reserves.

Goldman Sachs has raised its December 2026 price target for gold to 5,400 dollars per ounce, given private sector and emerging market central banks' diversification into gold.

Gold, silver futures continue to hit record highs as investors flock to safer assets