This comes as the risks of pandemics, drug-resistant infections and fragile health services increase, the WHO Director-General said.
Addressing the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the impact of workforce reductions last year due to “significant cuts to our funding”, which have had major consequences.
“Sudden and severe cuts to bilateral aid have also caused enormous disruptions to health systems and services in many countries.” he told health ministers and diplomats, describing 2025 as “one of the most difficult years” in the agency’s history.
While the WHO had managed to continue its life-saving work, Tedros said the funding crisis exposed deeper vulnerabilities in global health governance, particularly in low- and middle-income countries struggling to maintain essential services.
What’s on the agenda?
The WHO Executive Board has a broad agenda covering pandemic preparedness, immunization, antimicrobial resistance, mental health and health emergencies in conflict zones.
Key issue: Members are also reviewing budget pressures, governance reform and Formal withdrawal notifications from the United States and Argentina..
Why it is important: The discussions come at a time when global health risks are rising, even as international cooperation and predictable financing are under pressure.
What’s next? The results of this week’s meeting will be sent to the World Health Assembly in May, shaping the direction of the WHO amid growing geopolitical and public health pressures.
Click here for more information about the session, and here for our recent Coverage of key global health topics..
There is a lot at stake
The WHO funding crisis is part of a broader retreat from international health financing, forcing countries to make difficult decisions, he added.
“In response to funding cuts, WHO is supporting many countries to maintain essential health services and transition from aid dependence to self-sufficiencyTedros said, pointing to domestic resource mobilization – including higher health taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks – as a key strategy.
However, the scale of unmet needs remains enormous.
According to the WHO, 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential health services, while 2.1 billion face financial hardship due to health costs.. At the same time, the world faces a projected shortage of 11 million health workers by 2030, more than half of them nurses.
Deeper crisis averted
Tedros said the WHO has avoided a more serious financial shock only because member states have agreed to increase mandatory assessed contributionsreducing agency dependence on voluntary and earmarked funds.
“If the increase in assessed contributions had not been approved, we would have been in a much worse situation than we are,” he told the Board.
Thanks to these reforms, WHO has mobilized about 85 percent of the resources needed for its core budget for 2026-27.. But Tedros warned that the remaining gap will be “difficult to mobilize”, particularly in a difficult global financing environment.
“While 85 percent sounds good – and it is – the environment is very difficult,” he said, warning of “pockets of poverty” in underfunded priority areas such as emergency preparedness, antimicrobial resistance and climate resilience.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (file photo)
Profits have been achieved
Despite the financial climate, notable games have been made in recent months.
Tedros highlighted the adoption last year of the Pandemic Agreement and the modification of the International Health Regulations (IHR), with the aim of strengthening preparedness after COVID-19.
The WHO also expanded disease surveillance, implemented epidemic intelligence systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI), and helped countries respond to hundreds of health emergencies in 2025, many of which never reached public attention because outbreaks were contained early.
However, one in six bacterial infections worldwide is now resistant to antibiotics, Tedros said, describing the trend as worrying and accelerating in some regions.
‘Solidarity is the best immunity’
“The pandemic taught us all many lessons, especially 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 being less prepared – not more – for the next health emergency.
“This is your WHO,” Tedros told the Board, “Your strength is your unity. Your future is your choice.“
