WHO Warns of Global Health-Financing Shock Aid Drop to 40%
Drastic aid cuts threaten essential services in over 50 countries; WHO urges urgent domestic action and smarter financing.
WHO cautions that steep declines in global health financing could cripple vaccination, maternal care, and disease-surveillance systems across low-income nations.
GENEVA, November,Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over what it calls a “health-financing emergency,” citing a dramatic 30 – 40 % decline in external funding to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2025.
In a new policy paper released Monday, WHO warns that the pull-back in international aid has already triggered staff layoffs and service suspensions in more than 50 countries. Maternal health, vaccination campaigns, and disease-surveillance programmes are among the hardest hit.
“If unaddressed, these cuts will reverse decades of health progress,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling for governments to increase domestic financing and improve efficiency.
According to the report, Africa and parts of Southeast Asia face the steepest declines in donor commitments. The organisation urges governments to protect core primary-health budgets, prioritise essential medicines, and adopt digital systems for transparency.
Health economists note that a 40 % aid reduction could cause global immunisation coverage to fall below pre-pandemic levels. WHO plans a high-level summit in December to coordinate donor and domestic responses.
