WHO's plan without US funding

HUNDREDS of officials from the World Health Organization will join donors and diplomats in Geneva from today with one question dominating their thoughts - how to cope with crises from mpox to cholera without their main funder, the US.

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The annual assembly, with its week of sessions, votes and policy decisions, usually showcases the scale of the UN agency set up to tackle disease outbreaks, approve vaccines and support health systems worldwide.

This year - since US President Donald Trump started the year-long process to leave the WHO with an executive order on his first day in office in January - the main theme is scaling down.

“Our goal is to focus on the high-value stuff,” Daniel Thornton, the WHO's director of co-ordinated resource mobilisation, said.

Just what that “high-value stuff” will be is up for discussion. Health officials have said the WHO's work in providing guidelines for countries on new vaccines and treatments for conditions from obesity to HIV will remain a priority.

One WHO slideshow for the event, shared with donors, suggested work on approving new medicines and responding to outbreaks would be protected, while training programmes and offices in wealthier countries could be closed.

The US had provided around 18% of the WHO's funding. “We've got to make do with what we have,” said one Western diplomat who asked not to be named.