The World Health Organization plans to cut costs and reassess its health programme priorities following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the agency, according to an internal memo from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Trump made the move on the first day of his second term in office on Monday, accusing the U.N. health agency of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
“This announcement has made our financial situation more acute…,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the memo dated January 23. It said the WHO planned to significantly reduce travel expenditure and halt recruitment, except for critical areas, as part of cost-saving measures.
A WHO spokesperson confirmed the memo – first reported by Reuters – was authentic but declined to comment further.
The United Nations confirmed on Thursday that the U.S. was due to withdraw from the WHO on January 22, 2026.
WHO’s Biggest Financial Backer
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.
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.
But it said more funding would be needed and costs would have to be cut simultaneously. This would include making all meetings virtual by default without exceptional approval, limiting the replacement of IT equipment, and suspending office refurbishments unless linked to safety or already approved cost-cutting.
“This set of measures is not comprehensive, and more will be announced in due course,” the memo reads, adding that the Geneva-based WHO would do everything it could to support and protect staff.
“As always, you make me proud to be WHO,” the memo ends.
(With inputs from Reuters)
