The executive board meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday was set to take on an atmosphere of crisis as it grappled with the consequences of the looming withdrawal of the U.S.

Since President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. to exit the WHO on his first day back in office, there has been an atmosphere of alarm at the UN agency’s headquarters in Geneva.

The U.S. is by far the largest contributor to the WHO. In 2024, its share of the budget was 18 per cent.

It now appears inevitable that jobs and health programmes will have to be cut to cover the funding gap.

The U.S. was represented on the executive board, which has 34 members and is the highest decision-making body of the WHO during annual general meetings.

The U.S. withdrawal was due to take effect on January 22, 2026, but the new administration in Washington has instructed its officials to cease cooperation with the WHO with immediate effect.

The WHO hoped that other countries would consider increasing their contributions.

The mandatory contribution of all 194 WHO member states was based on a country’s economic strength.

When Mr Trump withheld funds for the WHO during his first term in office, Germany stepped in and was the largest contributor in the 2020–2021 budget period.

(dpa/NAN)