US cuts global health funding as WHO prepares for historic downsizing
Global health funding has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years after the United States and several European nations slashed foreign aid
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – Global health funding has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years after the United States and several European nations slashed foreign aid, raising alarm among experts about the world’s readiness for future pandemics.
US President Donald Trump, who withdrew Washington from the World Health Organization (WHO) after returning to office in January, has also cut major global health programs. Nine European countries — including key donors — have similarly reduced their aid budgets, citing defense and economic pressures.
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, global health financing has plunged from $80 billion in 2021 to under $40 billion this year. The US reduced its contributions by 67%, or more than $9 billion, while the UK and France cut theirs by around 40% and 33%, respectively.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the US withdrawal “should have allowed an exit strategy” and warned it has already resulted in deaths. The agency’s budget for the next two years has been reduced by 20%, forcing the layoff of around 600 staff members in Geneva — the largest downsizing in WHO history.
Tedros said that while some countries have increased their funding to offset the shortfall, “the hole left behind remains too large.” The WHO now plans to have half of its budget covered through mandatory member dues by 2031 to reduce dependence on any single nation.
The US has also halted $300 million in annual support to Gavi, the vaccine alliance, and made no new pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Health advocates warn these cuts could reverse decades of progress, with Bill Gates cautioning that child mortality could rise for the first time in 25 years.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied reports of deaths linked to suspended programs, saying the US must end a “culture of dependency.” The administration’s new America First Global Health Strategy emphasizes working directly with governments instead of intermediary organizations.
Despite the funding cuts, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has maintained limited cooperation with the WHO, including projects to evacuate Palestinian children with cancer from Gaza. However, he has also urged “radical reform” of the agency.
Countries such as Argentina, Italy, Hungary, and Russia have signaled interest in following Washington’s lead in withdrawing from the WHO.
Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar said donor fatigue had already set in before Trump’s return, noting that the organization raised $9 billion this year — short of its $12 billion goal — and reduced its workforce by 24%. Gavi and the Global Fund have begun merging operations to cut costs and improve efficiency.
Meanwhile, African nations are pledging to boost self-reliance. At a recent summit in Ghana, leaders committed to investing more in national health systems and diversifying funding sources.
“Countries are now waking up and saying: ‘OK, I have to mobilize domestic resources,’” Tedros said, calling the shift a potential long-term positive outcome.
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