GENEVA/LONDON: The World Well being Group will minimize prices and overview which well being programmes to prioritise after the US introduced its exit, its chief instructed workers in an inner memo seen by Reuters.
US President Donald Trump introduced the withdrawal on the primary day of his second time period on Monday (Jan 20), alleging that the worldwide well being company had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and different worldwide well being crises.
“This announcement has made our monetary state of affairs extra acute,” WHO Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in a memo to workers dated Jan 23. It stated that the company deliberate to considerably cut back journey expenditure and halt recruitment as a part of a sequence of cost-saving measures.
A WHO spokesperson confirmed the memo was genuine however declined to remark additional.
The United Nations confirmed on Thursday that the US was because of withdraw from the WHO on Jan 22, 2026.
The US is by far the WHO’s largest monetary backer, contributing round 18 per cent of its general funding. WHO’s most up-to-date two-year price range, for 2024-2025, was US$6.8 billion.
