(VOVWORLD) - The World Health Organization will cut costs and review which health programmes to prioritise after President Donald Trump announced he is withdrawing the US from the WHO, the agency’s chief told staff in an internal memo.
 WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
"This announcement has made our financial situation more acute...," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the memo dated Jan. 23. It said the WHO planned to significantly reduce travel expenditure and halt recruitment, except for critical areas, as part of cost-saving measures.
The memo said the WHO had already worked to reform the organization and change how it is funded, with member states increasing their mandatory fees and contributing to its investment round launched last year.
The United Nations confirmed on Thursday that the United States was due to withdraw from the WHO on January 22, 2026.
The United States is by far the WHO's biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding. WHO's most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was 6.8 billion USD.