WHO Faces Financial Collapse as U.S. Abandons Global Health Efforts

The World Health Organization (WHO) is on the brink of collapse after the United States officially withdrew its funding, leaving the UN health agency scrambling to fill a multi-billion-dollar shortfall. The decision, spearheaded by President Donald Trump, has sent shockwaves through global health networks, with critics warning of catastrophic consequences for disease prevention and life-saving programs.

Despite already slashing its 2026-2027 budget from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion, WHO still faces a $1.9 billion deficit, alongside an additional $600 million gap for this year’s budget. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has admitted that the crisis leaves the agency with “no choice” but to implement massive workforce reductions.

The U.S., which previously contributed $1.3 billion per budget cycle, has not only pulled out of WHO but also frozen all foreign health aid, leaving critical global health programs in limbo. With Washington refusing to pay $260 million in unpaid membership fees, the agency is now confronting an existential crisis.

The fallout is expected to be devastating. Tedros has warned that cuts to HIV programs alone could trigger “more than 10 million additional cases of HIV and three million HIV-related deaths.” The sudden funding vacuum threatens to cripple efforts to combat infectious diseases, vaccine rollouts, and pandemic preparedness.

While some hail Trump’s decision as a necessary move to stop what they see as a bloated, inefficient, and politically biased organization, others see it as an abandonment of global health leadership. The question now is whether other nations will step in to rescue WHO or if this marks the downfall of the world’s leading public health institution.