The US spent $68bn on international aid in 2023, with USAID accounting for around $40bn of that total. Image credit: Getty / Chip Somodevilla.

Already anticipating losing its biggest funder, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has asked the US to reconsider its pause on foreign healthcare aid, which he says is causing a serious impact around the world.

“There are also actions that the US Government is taking that are unrelated to its intended withdrawal from WHO, but which we are concerned are having a serious impact on global health,” Dr Tedros said whilst speaking at a WHO virtual conference in Geneva on 12 February.

After the US stated its intention to withdraw from the WHO last month, the new administration has suspended or curtailed HIV, malaria and tuberculosis treatment services in low-income countries supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Commenting publicly for the first time about President Trump’s freeze on US aid funding, the WHO chief pointed to the suspension of financial support for the president’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The plan has become a major pillar in fighting the global HIV/AIDS response, providing testing services, antiretroviral treatment, and education programmes.

Although some PEPFAR projects have been able to restart after a waiver was issued for urgent life-saving HIV treatment services, Dr Tedros explained that 50 countries have seen an immediate stop in HIV treatment, testing and prevention services due to the freeze.

“Clinics are shuttered and health workers have been put on leave,” Dr Tedros said.

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Around $68bn was spent by the US on international aid in 2023, with USAID accounting for around $40bn of that total. Most of USAID’s money is spent on sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Europe. Europe’s primary receiver currently is Ukraine.

Dr Tedros also alluded to polio and mpox outbreaks in Africa, saying efforts to eradicate and contain the diseases have been affected by the “sudden suspension of US funding and the sudden disengagement of US institutions”.

“We ask the US to consider continuing its funding at least until solutions can be found,” Dr Tedros said in a closing remark.

Calling USAID “corrupt” and “incompetent”, Trump’s administration fired the agency’s inspector general earlier this week, with the abrupt freeze on aid also forcing mass layoffs at US-based suppliers and contractors linked to the USAID.

Whilst the president is yet to reply to the WHO on his USAID stance, he has already called the health agency “politically influenced”. Trump previously said that Dr Tedros favoured China over the US during the pandemic.

The US was the largest contributor to the WHO in 2022-2023 under former US President Joe Biden, giving the agency $1.28bn. This amounted to 12% of the WHO’s total budget – in comparison, China donated $157m.