The United States is set to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 22, 2026 barring a last-minute delay — a move that could have major consequences for global health and disease surveillance. Western University has the following experts available to discuss the decision, its historical context, and what it could mean moving forward.
Mitchell Hammond
Assistant Professor, History
- U.S. involvement in WHO
- History of public health
- Impact of epidemic disease in the modern world
How the U.S. withdrawal from WHO could affect global health powers and disease threats
Dr. Nitin Mohan
Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
- Global health systems
- Infectious disease surveillance
- Preventive medicine
Dr. Michael Rieder
Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
- Impacts on availability of vaccines and medications
- Paediatric clinical pharmacology
- Drug efficacy and safety
Maxwell Smith
Associate Professor, School of Health Studies; director, Western Centre for Bioethics
- Public health ethics
- Public health institutions and health equity
- CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in Ethics and Health Emergencies
MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zadorsky, Media Relations Officer, Western University, 226.377.1673 (mobile), jzadorsk@uwo.ca.
