HEALTH

WHO Launches Annual Appeal for Funding Amid Uncertainty Over US Partnership

In Desk

Jan 17, 2025 • 2 min read

The World Health Organization has launched its annual appeal for funding to respond to health emergencies, amid uncertainty over the future of partnership with the United States, which is set to switch leadership.

In its effort to raise $1.5 billion, the WHO aims to support more than 300 million people living in 42 emergency zones worldwide, from Gaza to Afghanistan. The agency's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that a growing gap between needs and available funding poses an impossible task.

Historically, the United States has been a major contributor to both the WHO's emergency appeal and its wider budget, with about 34% of funding for health emergencies coming from the US in the past two years. However, this contribution is under threat as Donald Trump takes office for his second term.

Sources close to the transition team have indicated that Trump could take similar steps as during his first tenure, including cutting funding to the WHO and withdrawing the US from the agency. The UK-based news organization Reuters reported earlier that a source familiar with the talks said: "The same WHO that we left in the first administration? It seems like we wouldn't much care what they have to say."

The WHO is facing financial uncertainty as it relies on five major donors, led by the US, which account for up to two-thirds of its voluntary funding. Withdrawal of any of these big donors would leave an immediate and substantial funding gap that cannot be easily bridged.

"This is a wake-up call for those of us who are fighting for WHO in conversations with key people," said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and former COVID-19 White House coordinator. "We want them to say we understand the problem and could do better."

The WHO has expressed optimism that it can maintain its strong relationship with the US while also cooperating with the incoming administration. However, public health experts suggest the agency should be preparing for all possible scenarios.

As the situation continues to unfold, the WHO's appeal for funding highlights the urgent need for sustained support from major donors in addressing global health emergencies.

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