The World Health Organisation has lost its top financial contributor, the United States of America.
For 2018 and 2019, the U.S. government pledged to contribute $893 million to WHO’s budget consisting of dues and voluntary contributions.
The US for the coming years will however no longer make a donation to the WHO. In a press conference yesterday, President Donald Trump announced he was finally pulling out of the WHO.
The action comes after a May 19th outing where he promised to cut funding if the World Health Organisation failed to start implementing reforms in 30 days.
“Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs” Trump told reporters.
Pulling out in less than two weeks however, Trump’s critics say he is making the WHO a scapegoat as tensions between the U.S. and China escalate.
There are fears the move will hamper the functioning of the body, putting beneficiaries to the organisation especially in the underdeveloped countries helpless.
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging on, there are concerns that the US pulling out may slow the fight against the virus.
Mimi Mefo Info
