Former Nigerian senator Shehu Sani has criticised the United States decision to leave the World Health Organization (WHO), calling it a troubling setback for global health efforts and warning that it could weaken protection for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Sani, a former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central in Nigeria’s National Assembly, shared his view in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday, 23 January 2026. Okay News reports that he said the move could affect global stability because of the WHO’s role in health security across countries.
The United States completed its withdrawal from the United Nations (UN) health agency on Thursday, 22 January 2026, following a year-long process that began under the Trump administration. The decision ended a 78-year relationship with the WHO, and the United States had long been the organisation’s largest financial contributor.
Reacting, Sani said the WHO’s work reaches places that major world powers often overlook, including remote and underserved communities.
He wrote, “The withdrawal of the US from the WHO is unfortunate. For decades, the WHO has been a global institution and instrument for tackling global health challenges in all corners of the globe and in the remotest communities. WHO is irreplaceable and indispensable.”
The exit is expected to leave a major hole in the WHO budget, estimated at $100s of millions each year, raising concerns about how key programmes will be financed.
Sani urged other wealthy and influential players to step in to prevent essential health work from stalling. He referenced programmes linked to polio eradication, malaria control, and preparations for future pandemics.
He called on the European Union (EU), China, and rich Arab Gulf nations to help fill the funding gap left by the United States withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the United States government defended the decision, saying it was based on dissatisfaction with the WHO’s handling of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and what it described as a failure to carry out meaningful reforms.
The justification was presented by senior United States officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the country’s top diplomat.
The United States has also said it plans to focus more on direct, country-to-country health agreements and partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), instead of working through the UN system.
However, Sani and other critics argue that breaking global health coordination into separate deals could slow responses during future outbreaks and leave remote communities without strong international support.
