Global Health Funding Faces Unprecedented Crisis

Global health funding is in turmoil as donor nations, including the U.S., reduce contributions. The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO due to dissatisfaction with its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic worsens the crisis. WHO faces a $600 million budget gap, proposing a significant budget cut for 2026-27.

Global health financing is experiencing an unprecedented crisis as major donor countries decrease their contributions, said the director of the World Health Organization on Thursday.

With the U.S., historically the largest donor, having withdrawn from the WHO under President Donald Trump, the agency's financial woes have intensified. The U.S. decision was rooted in dissatisfaction with the WHO's management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faced with a daunting $600 million funding shortfall this year, the WHO plans a 21% budget cut for 2026-27, from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion, and may also reduce staff. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that these cuts would severely impact global health.