The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) began its annual nine-day meeting Monday on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, crying poor and doubting its ability to again meet crises like the coronavirus epidemic after U.S. funding cuts struck at the heart of the United Nations subsidiary’s finances.
AP reports Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been grappling with a response to the U.S. cuts as well as reduced outlays from other traditional Western donors who are favoring defense over humanitarian aid.
President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. was exiting the agency on the first day of his return to office in January.
🚨 President Trump withdraws the United States from the World Health Organization pic.twitter.com/YyKYMP53Ur
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 21, 2025
Matthew Kavanagh, the director of Georgetown University’s center for Global Health Policy and Politics, said other countries have used the “U.S. disruption” — the cut in aid — “as cover to do their maneuvering, with many countries in Europe reducing aid.”
“The WHO faces an existential crisis that goes well beyond a budget gap to the question of whether this sort of multilateralism can succeed in addressing global health in this new era of nationalism and misinformation,” he said, the AP reported.
It is also grappling with countries questioning the W.H.O. and the efficacy of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
UPDATE: A petition calling for the resignation of World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is nearing one million signatures. https://t.co/INFaBju21O
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 12, 2020
In the run-up to the assembly, W.H.O. has been slashing cutting costs. Its management has presented a budget for the next two years at just under $4.3 billion, which is 22 percent less than originally planned — largely in response to Western funding cuts, the AP report notes.
A ormer Ethiopian health and foreign minister, Tedros announced a shake-up of top management that included the exit of key adviser Dr. Michael Ryan from the job as emergencies chief.
Tedros previously mourned the loss of U.S. funds and other assistance have left the W.H.O. with a salary gap of more than $500 million. W.H.O. is “confident” it has commitments for 60 percent of funds for the next two-year budget cycle, but it faces a budget gap of $1.7 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
