Funding Crisis in Global Health: WHO's Call to Action

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that funding cuts are depriving patients in at least 70 countries of crucial medical treatments. The organization is grappling with a $600-million budget shortfall, which poses a threat to global health initiatives.

In a recent address at the World Health Assembly, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the severe impact of these financial challenges. Health facilities are shutting down, workers are losing jobs, and patients are shouldering more healthcare costs. The situation is set to worsen with a projected 21% cut in the next two years.

As the United States plans to withdraw from the WHO, China is expected to fill the funding gap. However, Tedros emphasized the need for broader financial commitments to global health, questioning global priorities in the face of rising military expenditures.

(With inputs from agencies.)