The World Health Organization (WHO) has been forced to introduce significant budget cuts, including a hiring freeze and a drastic reduction in travel, following the United States’ decision to withdraw from the organization. This announcement, made by President Donald Trump, has placed a severe strain on the WHO’s financial resources, as reported in an internal memo obtained by Politico. WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed concerns about the worsening financial outlook and the uncertainty facing the agency’s workforce due to the US exit.
In a communication to WHO staff on Thursday, Tedros explained that the US withdrawal exacerbated the organization’s financial challenges. He acknowledged the heightened anxiety and uncertainty the decision has caused among employees. In light of this, the WHO will implement several measures to cope with the funding shortfall, including freezing hiring in all but essential areas and significantly curbing travel expenses. As part of these cost-saving efforts, the WHO will also hold all meetings virtually unless absolutely necessary to meet in person.
Furthermore, the agency will limit field missions to only those deemed critical. This decision will prioritize the most urgent operations while curtailing any non-essential activities. To manage finances more efficiently, the WHO will restrict the replacement of IT equipment, renegotiate large contracts, and halt office renovations and capital projects, except those related to security or additional cost-cutting measures.
The US is the largest financial contributor to the WHO, providing roughly 18% of its total funding. President Trump’s executive order, signed shortly after his inauguration, formalized the US departure from the WHO. The US government has criticized the organization’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to what it claims were mismanagement and failures in implementing necessary reforms.
During the Trump administration, the US faced a particularly high death toll from COVID-19, in contrast to other wealthy nations. The former president’s resistance to public health guidelines, including mask-wearing, and his promotion of unverified treatments, have been key points of contention during the pandemic. As the WHO faces a challenging financial future, these recent developments have added another layer of complexity to the global health crisis, especially at a time when international collaboration remains crucial in addressing global health threats.
