WHO issues urgent financial guidance amid aid drop

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday released new guidance for countries on how to counter the immediate and long-term effects of sudden, severe cuts to external funding, which are disrupting the delivery of essential health services in many countries.

The new guidance, called "Responding to the health financing emergency: immediate measures and longer-term shifts", provides a suite of policy options for countries to address sudden financing shocks and bolster efforts to mobilize and implement sufficient, sustainable financing for national health systems.

External health aid is projected to drop by 30-40 percent in 2025 compared with 2023, causing immediate and severe disruption to health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

WHO survey data from 108 LMICs collected in March 2025 indicate that funding cuts have reduced critical services – including maternal care, vaccination, health emergency preparedness and response, and disease surveillance – by up to 70% in some countries. More than 50 countries have reported job losses among health and care workers, along with major disruptions to health worker training programmes.