Starting tomorrow, hundreds of officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), along with donors and diplomats, will convene in Geneva for a meeting dominated by a critical question: how to navigate various health crises, from monkeypox to cholera, in the absence of their primary funder, the United States.
This annual meeting will take place over the course of a week filled with discussions, voting sessions, and decision-making. It typically assesses the WHO’s capacity to combat disease outbreaks, approve vaccines, and support health systems globally.
This year, however, the focus will be on scaling back the organization’s initiatives, following President Donald Trump’s commencement of a year-long withdrawal process from the WHO on his first day in office last January.
Daniel Thornton, WHO’s Resource Mobilization Coordinator, mentioned to Reuters, “Our goal is to concentrate on high-value elements.”
Discussions will determine what exactly these “high-value elements” are.
Health officials have stated that priority will be given to WHO’s work in guiding countries on vaccines and new treatments for a variety of health issues, ranging from obesity to HIV.
A presentation by the WHO shared with donors and seen by Reuters indicated that vital tasks such as approving new medications and addressing disease outbreaks will remain intact, while training programs and offices in wealthier nations might face closures.
The United States previously provided approximately 18% of WHO’s funding. A Western diplomat, who requested anonymity, commented, “We must manage with what we have.”
Since Trump’s announcement in January, officials have been preparing to reduce the number of managers and budgets, as a flurry of orders and aid cuts disrupted numerous agreements and multilateral initiatives.
The year-long delay in withdrawal means the United States will still remain a member of the WHO, and its flag will continue to fly outside the organization’s headquarters in Geneva until its official departure date on January 21, 2026.
Days after Trump’s remarks, he created confusion by suggesting he might reconsider rejoining the WHO if its staff were “cleaned up.” However, global health envoys report no significant indication of a change in his stance since then. Consequently, the WHO is moving forward despite a projected budget shortfall of $600 million for this year and a 21% cut over the next two years.
Trump had accused the WHO of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic, a claim the organization disputes.
* China Takes the Lead
As the United States prepares to exit, China is set to become the largest contributor to the organization’s assessed contributions, which are a significant source of financing for the WHO alongside voluntary donations.
Under a comprehensive funding reform agreement made in 2022, China’s share will increase from just over 15% to 20% of total assessed contributions.
Last month, Chen Xu, China’s ambassador in Geneva, told reporters, “We must learn to coexist with multilateral organizations without the Americans. Life will continue.”
Others have pointed out that this could be an opportune moment for broader reforms, rather than continuing under a restructured donor hierarchy.
Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation, an independent fundraising organization for the WHO, questioned, “Does the organization need all its committees? … Does it need to publish thousands of documents each year?”
He noted that changes have spurred a reevaluation of the agency’s operations, including whether it should focus on details like fuel procurement during emergencies.
There is an urgent need to ensure that key projects do not collapse during the current funding crisis. Soni mentioned that this involves reaching out to specialized donors, including pharmaceutical companies and charitable organizations.
For instance, the ELM Foundation, which focuses on child health in Africa and has offices in the U.S., South Africa, and Uganda, recently stepped in with a $2 million contribution to the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network, known as GREM, which consists of over 700 labs tracking infectious disease threats.
Other initiatives at the WHO include the endorsement of a historic agreement on how to tackle future pandemics and mobilizing additional funding from donors during an investment round.
However, the focus on funding will remain critical under the new global framework. Leading up to the event, the Director-General of WHO sent out an email to staff requesting volunteers to serve as guides, without extra remuneration.