WHO notifies staff of hiring freeze, budget cuts due to U.S. leaving

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The Trump administration's plan to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization has triggered a hiring freeze, suspended investments and a travel reduction within the organization, according to a staff email.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an email Thursday to staff that the U.S. pulling out "has made our financial situation more acute."

The U.S. contribution to WHO was $1.3 billion between 2022 and 2023. The money helps fund public health work including controlling deadly diseases.

Total program budget for WHO for 2022-2023 was $6.7 billion.

WHO said on X earlier this week it regrets the U.S. decision to leave the organization and hopes the decision will be reconsidered.

Global health consultant Fifa Rohman told Politico public health in the United States could be harmed in dealing with pandemics without WHO.

She said dealing with misinformation in pandemics could be more problematic for the U.S. without WHO.

Ghebreyesus' staff email said WHO could impose more financial cuts due to the U.S. decision to withdraw.

In a Tuesday post on X, WHO said that for over seven decades the United States, as a founding member of the organization, worked with the 193 other WHO member nations to save "countless lives."

WHO said it looked forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the U.S.-WHO partnership.