World Health Organization Looks Ahead to Life Without US

Agency scaling down by cutting staff and budgets, with China set to be main funder

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LONDON/GENEVA — Hundreds of officials from the World Health Organization will join donors and diplomats in Geneva from May 19 with one question dominating their thoughts — how to cope with crises from mpox to cholera without their main funder, the United States.

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.

In 2025 — since US President Donald Trump started the yearlong 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," Mr Daniel Thornton, the WHO's director of coordinated resource mobilisation, told Reuters.

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.