GENEVA (AFP) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday it was reviewing its priorities ahead of the withdrawal of its largest donor the United States (US), noting the agency provides vital services to protect against health threats.
The agency was “freezing recruitment, except in the most critical areas”, and was dramatically cutting back on travel expenditures, the organisation’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a letter sent to staff on Thursday and seen by AFP yesterday.
“All meetings must be fully virtual by default unless exceptional approval is sought and granted,” he wrote, adding technical support missions should be limited to the most essential President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the US to withdraw from the WHO, a body he has repeatedly criticised over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This announcement has made our financial situation more acute, and we know it has created significant concern and uncertainty for the WHO workforce,” Tedros said.
“We are reviewing which activities to prioritise with a reduced resource envelope.”
Tedros stressed that the United Nations (UN) health agency hoped the new administration would reconsider its decision, noting they were open to dialogue on preserving the relationship.
PHOTO: XINHUA
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier warned the US withdrawal would be a mistake.
“It’s a concern for global health – much more for global health than for WHO alone,” he told reporters in Geneva.
He pointed out that the agency “provides critical information to the US” and other member states “on outbreaks and emerging health threats”.
“WHO protects the US with a sophisticated health intelligence system that works to detect, characterise and assess threats in real time.”
He pointed in particular to the bird flu outbreak (H5N1), which has infected dozens and claimed one life in the US, adding that concerns had already been raised that important data might not be shared.
Lindmeier highlighted that the WHO was “in constant contact with member states” about health issues, including outbreaks.
“If that went silent from the US side, that would be an issue,” he said.
The US withdrawal would also deal a major blow to WHO’s budget and its operations.
In its last complete budget cycle, for 2022-23, the US pitched in USD1.3 billion or 16.3 per cent of the WHO’s USD7.89 billion budget.
