The World Health Organisation (WHO) has scaled back its global ambitions as financial challenges continue to bite, following the loss of key donor support and a growing reliance on conditional funding. The UN health agency ended its annual World Health Assembly on Tuesday with a reduced budget plan for 2026–2027 and new commitments to boost core funding—but it still remains billions short of its target.
Due to mounting financial pressure and the withdrawal of the United States as its largest donor, the WHO was forced to slash its 2026–2027 programme budget by more than 20 percent, cutting it from an original projection of $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion. This figure is also significantly below its current 2024–2025 budget of $6.8 billion, showing the impact of declining donor support and rising economic constraints.
Despite the cuts, WHO still needs to raise an additional $1.7 billion to fully fund its new budget—money it has not yet secured.
Speaking at the end of the assembly, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised member countries for backing new reforms to its funding model. “Your approval of the next increase in assessed contributions was a strong vote of confidence in your WHO at this critical time,” he said.
How WHO Funding Works
The WHO, established in 1948, runs its budgets on a two-year cycle. Initially, the organisation relied entirely on “assessed contributions”—membership dues paid by countries based on their national income and population size. Over the years, however, this model shifted.
By the 2020–2021 budget cycle, assessed contributions accounted for just 16% of the WHO’s total programme budget. The remainder came from voluntary contributions, including donations from countries, philanthropic organisations, and private sector partners. Unlike assessed contributions, these funds are earmarked for specific projects, limiting the organisation’s flexibility in addressing emerging global health crises.
This overreliance on a small number of donors has long drawn criticism, particularly regarding the potential influence on the WHO’s priorities and independence.
Recent Funding Reform
To fix the imbalance and secure more stable and predictable financing, member states agreed in 2022 to gradually raise assessed contributions. The goal is to make these mandatory fees account for 50% of the WHO’s core budget by the 2030–2031 cycle.
As part of this reform, countries approved a 20% increase in membership dues under the current 2024–2025 budget, and again agreed to a further 20% increase at this year’s Assembly. The latest increase is expected to raise an additional $90 million annually.
According to Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, 60% of the organisation’s base budget for 2026–2027 is now secured, calling it a “remarkable result” given the tough global economic climate.
The Funding Gap
Still, challenges remain. Even with these increases, the WHO faces a $1.7 billion funding gap, casting uncertainty over its ability to deliver vital health programmes—especially in low-income countries. The cut in budget also signals that WHO will likely scale back its programming, just as global health systems continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, prepare for future health emergencies, and tackle rising threats like antimicrobial resistance, non-communicable diseases, and climate-related health crises.
Analysts say the organisation’s heavy dependence on voluntary, project-specific funding continues to threaten its long-term stability. The recent withdrawal of U.S. funding underlines the dangers of leaning too heavily on major donors for core financing.
While the WHO hopes that increasing assessed contributions will provide more financial autonomy and operational flexibility, it may take years before these changes bring the needed impact—especially if global economic conditions worsen.
In the meantime, the organisation must continue to navigate its global health mandate with fewer resources, while building trust and demonstrating results that justify future investment.
