WHO to cut spending, reset priorities after US withdrawal

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is planning cost-cutting measures following the decision by the United States to withdraw its membership.

To achieve this, the global health body will review some of its health programmes, reduce travel expenses and freeze recruitment, except in critical areas.

The WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus disclosed this in an internal memo issued on Thursday, according to a Reuters report

Mr Ghebreyesus said in the memo that President Donald Trump’s “announcement has made our financial situation more acute.”

The memo said the WHO had already worked to reform the organisation and change how it is funded, with member states increasing their mandatory fees and contributing to its investment round launched last year.
It, however, said more funding would be needed and costs would have to be cut simultaneously. This would include making all meetings virtual by default without exceptional approval, limiting the replacement of IT equipment, and suspending office refurbishments unless linked to safety or already approved cost-cutting.
“This set of measures is not comprehensive, and more will be announced in due course,” the memo reads.

US withdrawal

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Trump signed several executive orders hours after his inauguration at the White House on Monday. Some of these orders dealt a heavy blow to global efforts and drew criticism from leaders, experts, and stakeholders worldwide.

One of these is the US withdrawal from the WHO, which had been predicted to hamper the agency’s activities.
However, the president had argued that the US withdrawal was due to the inappropriate political influence of member states on the global body.

“The organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states is the reason for US withdrawal,” the text of Monday’s executive order reads.

WHO’s call for dialogue

Last Tuesday, WHO had called for constructive dialogue with the US, emphasising the need to preserve their decades-long partnership.

The organisation said its relationship with the US is pivotal to protecting global health and security.
It noted that the country played a significant role in its efforts to tackle disease outbreaks, strengthen health systems, and respond to emergencies in challenging environments.

The agency said, “With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has, over the past seven years, implemented the largest set of reforms in its history to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues.”

“We hope the United States will reconsider, and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.”

READ ALSO: WHO calls for dialogue over US intention to withdraw membership

Second attempt at withdrawal

This is President Trump’s second attempt to pull the US out of the United Nations health agency, which is focused on coordinating international responses to health emergencies across the world

Mr Trump has been criticising the Geneva-based institution for how it handled the COVID-19 pandemic and, in 2022, began the process of pulling the US out of it.

That decision was reversed under former President Joe Biden, who reengaged with the WHO and initiated the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy to tackle global infectious disease threats.