Efforts to combat diseases such as HIV, polio, mpox, and avian flu have been severely affected by the U.S. government’s recent decision to pause foreign aid funding, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on 12th Feb.
The aid suspension, initiated by President Donald Trump shortly after taking office last month as part of a funding review, has disrupted critical health programs worldwide. Tedros urged the U.S. to reconsider its stance and allow funding to continue while alternative solutions are explored.
“There are actions being taken by the U.S. government that we believe are having a significant impact on global health,” Tedros said during a virtual press briefing from Geneva.
One of the most immediate consequences has been the halt in funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has led to an abrupt stop in HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services across the 50 countries it supports. Despite a subsequent waiver allowing certain services to resume, preventive measures for high-risk groups remain excluded, he noted.
“Clinics have been forced to close, and healthcare workers have been placed on leave,” Tedros added, highlighting the WHO’s efforts to assist countries in securing alternative supplies of antiretroviral drugs.
The funding freeze has also hindered polio eradication efforts and responses to mpox outbreaks. In Myanmar alone, nearly 60,000 people have been left without access to essential medical care.
“We appeal to the U.S. to continue its funding at least until viable solutions can be implemented,” Tedros emphasized.
Beyond the aid suspension, Trump also initiated the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO on his first day in office, a move that has further strained global health cooperation. This decision has particularly impacted collaborative efforts in disease outbreak response and influenza tracking.
For instance, WHO has received limited data on the spread of avian influenza among U.S. dairy cattle and human cases. While other WHO officials confirmed that the U.S. has been fulfilling its international obligations to report cases, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s interim director for pandemics and epidemics, noted that the agency has not received influenza reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since January 24.
“We have been reaching out to our colleagues in U.S. government agencies but have yet to receive a response. We will continue our efforts and hope that communication resumes soon,” she said.
Tedros also pointed to WHO’s own financial challenges, acknowledging that while the agency has restructured its funding model in recent years, additional strategies are being explored.
These include the potential establishment of a $50 billion endowment, though details on how it would be financed remain unclear. WHO is also considering alternative revenue sources, such as charging fees for certain services provided to institutions or individuals who can afford to pay.
