The World Health Organization is feeling the financial shock after President Donald Trump followed through on his promise to pull U.S. taxpayer funding from the embattled global body — and its leadership is openly admitting the pain.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the organization’s executive board in Geneva that 2025 has been “undeniably one of the most difficult years in our organization’s history,” acknowledging that major workforce reductions are now underway. The reason: America, long the WHO’s largest donor, has closed its wallet.
“Significant cuts to our funding left us with no choice but to reduce the size of our workforce,” Tedros said bluntly.
The financial squeeze comes after President Trump, on day one of his second term, finalized the United States’ withdrawal from the WHO — a move conservatives had demanded since the COVID-19 pandemic exposed what many saw as the organization’s political bias and deference to China. Trump previously blasted the WHO as “China-centric,” accusing it of amplifying Beijing’s narratives during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak while downplaying critical warnings.
Under the original 1948 agreement that brought the U.S. into the WHO, America retained the right to exit with one year’s notice, provided it met its existing financial obligations. The Trump administration complied with the legal framework but withheld dues from 2024 and 2025, leaving roughly $260 million unpaid. For an agency heavily dependent on American cash, the impact has been immediate. The U.S. alone contributed about $400 million in 2020 — far more than any other country.
The Department of Health and Human Services defended the withdrawal, citing the WHO’s pandemic failures, resistance to reform, and susceptibility to political pressure from member states. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were even more pointed, arguing that the organization squandered American goodwill after decades of generous funding.
Meanwhile, criticism of the WHO is no longer confined to Washington. During the same executive board meeting, Israeli officials accused the agency of becoming politicized and suggested the U.S. departure should trigger a broader reassessment of the organization’s mission and credibility.
Tedros attempted to frame the funding crisis as an opportunity, claiming the WHO is encouraging countries to move away from aid dependency toward “self-reliance.” Yet United Nations data paint a stark picture: 4.6 billion people worldwide still lack reliable access to essential health services, and 2.1 billion face financial hardship due to medical costs. Whether a downsized WHO can meaningfully address those gaps remains an open question.
In a controversial twist, some Democrat-led U.S. states are attempting to maintain ties with the global body despite the federal withdrawal. Illinois recently joined the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, following California’s earlier move. State officials argue participation is necessary to preserve access to international disease surveillance.
Illinois public health director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the state feared losing early-warning systems tied to global outbreaks. Critics counter that such moves undermine a unified national policy and keep American institutions tethered to an organization voters rejected through Trump’s election mandate.
For conservatives, the WHO’s budget crisis represents more than belt-tightening. It marks a reassertion of American sovereignty over international bureaucracies long accused of taking U.S. money while ignoring U.S. interests. And judging by Geneva’s reaction, the message has landed.
