USA Exit from the World Health Organization: Implications for Nigeria’s Health Financing and Disease Control

Abstract

The formal withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), finalized in January 2026 after a one-year notice period, marks a major shift in global health governance with significant implications for Nigeria’s health financing and disease control efforts. The United States historically contributed approximately 14–22% of the WHO’s budget and was a leading funder of disease specific programmes, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and polio control efforts worldwide. Nigeria’s health sector relies heavily on WHO-coordinated funding and technical support. Reduced funds may exacerbate existing budgetary pressures, disrupt disease control progress, and increase the burden on an already under-funded health system. This brief analyses the potential impacts of this withdrawal, with a focus on loss of U.S. funding, effects on major disease programmes, and urgent areas for legislative intervention. To mitigate the impacts of this global shift and to ensure adequate healthcare for Nigerians, this brief hereby recommends the following: i. The National Assembly, through its relevant Committees, Senate and House Committee on Healthcare Services, the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, through its oversight functions, may wish to strengthen domestic health financing by reviewing budgetary allocations to the health sector to increase domestic funding for priority disease control areas like HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, Polio, among others. ii. The National Assembly may wish to utilize oversight function to advise the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the need to support Nigeria’s engagement with the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) health mechanisms, and other multilateral partners to leverage alternative technical and financial resources.