WHO COVID-19 intelligence appeal: UN health agency urges the US to share data on pandemic origins as investigations remain inconclusive

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday urged the United States to share any intelligence it may be withholding regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Washington formally quitting the organisation.

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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that understanding where SARS-CoV-2 originated is crucial for preventing future pandemics.

The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and the virus has since killed an estimated 20 million people worldwide while devastating global economies and health systems.

On his first day back in office in January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump submitted a one-year withdrawal notice from the WHO, citing the organisation’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Trump’s administration has publicly supported the theory that the virus leaked from a virology laboratory in Wuhan.

Tedros noted that despite public claims, the U.S. had not provided any intelligence on the virus’s origins prior to its exit. “We haven’t received any information,” he said.

“We hope they will share, because we haven’t still concluded the COVID origins, and knowing what happened could help us to prevent the next pandemic.”

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s chief of epidemic and pandemic threat management, confirmed that the agency continues to follow up with governments claiming to hold intelligence, including the U.S., but has received no reports beyond publicly available information.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed the WHO “obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information that could have saved American lives” and criticised the agency’s handling of U.S. contributions.

The WHO rejected these assertions.

Although the WHO constitution does not provide a withdrawal clause, the United States reserved the right to withdraw when it joined in 1948, provided it gave one year’s notice and fulfilled financial obligations.

The withdrawal period expired on January 22, 2026, but Washington has yet to pay its 2024 or 2025 dues, leaving an outstanding balance of approximately $260 million.

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The WHO has maintained that all hypotheses regarding the virus’s origins remain under investigation and called on any country with relevant intelligence to share it to help bring the probe to a conclusion.