The United States has completed its official withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), a year after President Donald Trump announced the end of a 78‑year membership. According to reports, the withdrawal is not fully complete, as the U.S. still owes more than $130 million to the organization, and some issues remain unresolved — such as the loss of access to data that could help in confronting pandemics. Experts believe this decision will weaken the global response to disease outbreaks and negatively affect the development of American vaccines.

According to the Associated Press, the withdrawal does not amount to a total severance.

WHO stated that the United States owes more than $130 million to the global health agency, while Trump administration officials acknowledged that they have not yet settled certain matters, including the loss of access to data from other countries that could provide the U.S. with early warnings of new pandemics.

Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said the withdrawal will harm the global response to new disease outbreaks and hinder the ability of American scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines and medicines against emerging threats.

He added: “I think it is the worst presidential decision I have seen in my lifetime.”