WHO Faces Deep Cuts as Trump Pulls U.S. Funds Slashing Budget 21 Percent

The World Health Organization is reeling from a 600 million dollar shortfall after President Trump cut all U.S. funding and withdrew from the agency entirely. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced a proposed 21 percent budget reduction to 4.2 billion dollars in an internal email. The move forces scalebacks in global health programs and staff as America’s exit upends the agency’s finances.

The U.S. provided 1.3 billion dollars in the last budget cycle making it WHO’s top donor at 16 percent of total funds. Most of that cash targeted diseases like polio and malaria now at risk of losing ground. Tedros pinned the crisis on Trump’s drastic cuts and a U.S. pivot to defense over international aid.

Trump’s decision fulfills a pledge to ditch WHO over its handling of China during the COVID-19 outbreak he calls biased. He redirected funds to domestic priorities like border security and military upgrades. Critics say it weakens global health at a dire time with measles cases up 360 percent in America alone this year.

WHO plans to trim operations in 194 member states with poorest nations hit hardest by lost vaccine and treatment programs. Staff face layoffs from Geneva to field offices as Tedros scrambles to plug the 600 million dollar gap. Other donors like Germany and Japan may step up but can’t fully replace U.S. support.

The agency’s budget was 5.3 billion dollars last cycle with U.S. dues bankrolling efforts from Ebola response to maternal care. Losing 21 percent threatens rollbacks on gains like cutting child mortality since 2000. Health experts warn diseases don’t respect borders making America’s pullout a risk to all.

Trump’s exit follows years of tension with WHO peaking when he froze funds in 2020 over alleged China ties. His full withdrawal now leaves the U.S. outside an agency it helped found in 1948. Supporters cheer shedding a flawed body while foes see it as abandoning a world in need.

WHO’s budget woes come as global crises mount from Yemen’s war to Texas-led measles outbreaks taxing its reach. Tedros vows to adapt but admits some programs may end without new donors fast. The 4.2 billion dollar target aims to preserve core functions though skepticism lingers on its feasibility.

This shakeup could redefine global health leadership as America steps back and others vie to fill the void. Trump’s move signals a broader retreat from multilateral bodies like WHO favoring national gains. Whether it saves U.S. taxpayers or costs lives abroad will fuel debate as cuts take hold.