GENEVA/LONDON: The World Well being Group will minimize prices and assessment which well being programmes to prioritise after the US introduced its exit, its chief instructed employees 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-Basic Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned in a memo to employees dated Jan 23. It mentioned that the company deliberate to considerably cut back journey expenditure and halt recruitment as a part of a collection 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 as a consequence 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 funds, for 2024-2025, was US$6.8 billion.
