The World Health Organisation (WHO) is tightening its belt following US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the UN agency.
As a result, a hiring freeze has been implemented, non-essential travel is banned, and supply contracts are being renegotiated.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced these measures during a previously scheduled board meeting, which turned into a crisis session after the US announcement.
Officially, the meeting’s agenda included discussions on health issues such as cervical cancer and diabetes, as well as strategies to address the links between climate change, wars, conflicts, and health. However, the overarching question became how to replace the funding lost due to the US withdrawal.
For now, the WHO is not cutting its core budget: it hopes to find alternative funding sources.
The core budget for 2026-2027 is just under €5 billion, excluding additional costs for emergencies, health crises, and special programmes like polio eradication.
The United States accounts for 18% of the WHO’s budget. While the withdrawal is set to take effect in 2026, it is uncertain whether the US will continue its current contributions, which have not yet been provided.
President Trump had criticised the WHO during his first term, accusing the organisation of mismanaging the COVID-19 crisis and being overly influenced by China.
He also highlighted the disparity between US and Chinese contributions to the WHO.
