ASIATODAY.ID, GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the global health system is under growing strain as international aid cuts and persistent funding gaps weaken countries’ ability to deliver essential health services, just as pandemic risks and other global health threats continue to rise.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered the warning on Monday, February 2, 2026 during the opening of the WHO Executive Board meeting in Geneva.
He said funding reductions have already undermined health systems worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries struggling to sustain basic services.
“Sudden and severe cuts to bilateral aid have caused major disruptions to health systems and services in many countries,” Tedros told health ministers and diplomats.
He described 2025 as “one of the most difficult years” in the agency’s history.
While WHO has managed to keep its lifesaving work going, Tedros said the funding crisis has exposed deeper vulnerabilities in global health governance, including workforce shortages, weak emergency preparedness, and heavy reliance on voluntary and earmarked funding.
High-level agenda amid mounting pressure
The WHO Executive Board is reviewing a wide-ranging agenda, covering pandemic preparedness, immunisation, antimicrobial resistance, mental health, and health emergencies in conflict-affected areas.
However, a key focus of the meeting is the growing budget pressure facing the organisation, governance reform, and formal withdrawal notifications from the United States and Argentina, developments that have intensified uncertainty around global health financing.
The outcomes of the Executive Board meeting will be forwarded to the World Health Assembly in May, where they are expected to shape WHO’s strategic direction amid rising geopolitical tensions and escalating public health risks.
4.6 billion people lack essential care
According to WHO, the consequences of the funding crisis are already stark. An estimated 4.6 billion people worldwide still lack access to essential health services, while 2.1 billion people face financial hardship due to health-related costs.
At the same time, the global health workforce is projected to face a shortfall of 11 million workers by 2030, more than half of whom are nurses. WHO warns that this gap could further weaken national health systems, particularly in developing countries.
In response, WHO is supporting countries to sustain essential services and to transition away from aid dependency toward greater self-reliance, including through domestic resource mobilisation such as higher health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks.
However, Tedros acknowledged that unmet needs remain vast.
A deeper crisis narrowly avoided
Tedros said WHO has avoided a more severe financial shock largely because Member States agreed to increase mandatory assessed contributions, reducing the organisation’s dependence on voluntary funding.
“If you had not approved the increase in assessed contributions, we would be in a far worse situation than we are,” he told the Executive Board.
As a result, WHO has mobilised approximately 85 per cent of the resources needed for its core budget for 2026–2027.
Nevertheless, Tedros cautioned that closing the remaining funding gap will be difficult in the current global financing environment.
“There are still pockets of underfunded priority areas, including emergency preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, and climate resilience,” he said.
Progress despite financial strain
Despite the funding challenges, WHO has recorded several key advances.
In 2025, Member States adopted the Pandemic Agreement and amended the International Health Regulations (IHR), strengthening global preparedness in the aftermath of COVID-19.
WHO has also expanded disease surveillance, deployed artificial intelligence–powered epidemic intelligence systems, and supported countries in responding to hundreds of health emergencies—many of which were contained before escalating into major outbreaks.
However, new threats continue to emerge. Tedros warned that one in six bacterial infections globally is now resistant to antibiotics, a trend he described as alarming and accelerating in some regions.
‘Solidarity is the best immunity’
“The pandemic taught us that global threats demand a global response,” Tedros said. “Solidarity is the best immunity.”
He warned that without predictable and sufficient financing, the world risks becoming less prepared—not more—for the next health emergency.
“This is your WHO,” Tedros told Member States. “Its strength is your unity. Its future is your choice.” (AT Network)
Follow Us at Google News and WA Channel