WHO under pressure to restructure operations

In a letter to staff on January 23, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was implementing drastic cuts. WHO will freeze hiring except for essential positions and drastically reduce travel expenses.

Tedros said all meetings would be held virtually by default, unless specifically approved, and only critical technical support missions would be deployed. “This announcement puts our financial situation under further strain and we understand that this is causing great concern for the WHO workforce,” he said.

The WHO chief also expressed hope that the new US administration would reconsider the decision and be ready for dialogue to protect the bilateral relationship.

Meanwhile, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the US decision was a serious mistake. According to him, "this is a big problem for the global health situation - even bigger than the WHO problem".

Mr. Lindmeier emphasized the important role of WHO in providing essential health information, not only to the United States but also to other member states. He pointed out that WHO operates a real-time health threat monitoring and assessment system that helps protect the United States from risks such as the recent outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that infected dozens of people and claimed one life in the United States.

“If the US stops sharing data and information, that will become a serious problem,” Mr. Lindmeier warned.

The US decision not only dealt a heavy blow to the WHO’s operations but also put the agency in serious financial trouble. In the 2022-2023 budget cycle, the US contributed $1.3 billion, equivalent to 16.3% of the WHO’s total budget of $7.89 billion.

Under the rules set by the US Congress, withdrawal can only be done after one year of formal notification and after all debts have been paid. Mr. Lindmeier revealed that the US still owes the WHO $130 million in membership fees for 2024 and $130 million for 2025, which are already due.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump defended his decision, noting that the US contribution far exceeds that of other countries, such as China, which will contribute only $88 million per year for the 2024-2025 period.