Trump Brings America Out, WHO Cuts Costs To Review Prioritaw Program

ILUSTRATE PHOTO Yann Forget Via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) will cut costs as well as review which health programs should be prioritized after President Donald Trump announced the United States' exit.

This is known from the international memo from the WHO leadership to its staff seen by Reuters.

Trump took action to pull America out of WHO on the first day of his second term on Monday. Trump accused the UN health agency of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

"This announcement makes our financial situation even worse," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a memo dated January 23.

WHO plans to significantly reduce travel spending and stop recruitment, except in critical areas. as part of cost-saving efforts.

A WHO spokesman confirmed the memo was first reported by Reuters native but declined to comment further.

The United Nations confirmed on Thursday that the United States would withdraw from the WHO on January 22, 2026.

The United States has so far been the WHO's biggest financial supporter, accounting for about 18 percent of its total funding. The WHO's two-year budget, for 2024-2025, is 6.8 billion US dollars.

The memo said the WHO had made efforts to reform the organization and amend its funding methods, with member states increasing their mandatory costs and contributing to the investment round launched last year.

More funds and costs are needed to be cut simultaneously. This includes making all virtual meetings default without special consent, limiting replacement of IT equipment, and suspending office repairs except for safety or cost cuts that have been approved.

These measures are not comprehensive, and other measures will be announced in due course, the memo reads, adding the Geneva-based WHO would do anything to support and protect its staff.