Maga-backed researchers call for WHO to be ‘reformed or replaced’ on eve of US withdrawal

Mr Trump announced that he would withdraw the US from the WHO in January last year, having already tried to get his country out of the global health body during his first term before the decision was reversed by Joe Biden.

Since the announcement, the WHO has been scrambling to offset a major hit to its funding – the US was the largest country donor to the organisation, contributing about a fifth of its annual budget of £5.5 billion.

It has announced plans to cut 2,371 jobs from its 9,000-strong global workforce by June 2026, halved the size of its senior leadership team, reduced the size of its Geneva headquarters and begun a major re-structuring process.

While the US withdrawal has no doubt harmed the organisation, it has led to other countries, notably India and China, stepping in to partly fill the gap.

Beijing, for example, has pledged $5 billion to the organisation over the next five years, meaning it is now the top country contributor.

There are also signs that the organisation may be able to operate more freely and effectively without the influence of an intransigent US administration.

In May 2025, the Pandemic Agreement was formally adopted after more than two years of fraught negotiations.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, also set an upbeat tone when speaking to The Telegraph last year.

He said although funding cuts and the US withdrawal to the WHO presented a major challenge, there were also opportunities.

The cuts are being seen by poorer member states as an opportunity to break away from a “dependency mentality” and stand on their own feet, Dr Tedros said.

The organisation would become “lean and mean” and be able to do “more and better” for less money, he said.

The WHO was approached for comment.

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