World Health Organization looks ahead to life without the US
LONDON/GENEVA (Reuters) -Hundreds of officials from the World Health Organization will join donors and diplomats in Geneva from Monday with one question dominating their thoughts - how to cope with crises from mpox to cholera without their main funder, the United States.
The annual assembly, with its week of sessions, votes and policy decisions, usually showcases the scale of the U.N. agency set up to tackle disease outbreaks, approve vaccines and support health systems worldwide.
This year - since U.S. President Donald Trump started the year-long process to leave the WHO with an executive order on his first day in office in January - the main theme is scaling down.
"Our goal is to focus on the high-value stuff," Daniel Thornton, the WHO's director of coordinated resource mobilisation, told Reuters.
Just what that "high-value stuff" will be is up for discussion. Health officials have said the WHO's work in providing guidelines for countries on new vaccines and treatments for conditions from obesity to HIV will remain a priority.
One WHO slideshow for the event, shared with donors and seen by Reuters, suggested work on approving new medicines and responding to outbreaks would be protected, while training programmes and offices in wealthier countries could be closed.
The United States had provided around 18% of the WHO's funding. "We've got to make do with what we have," said one Western diplomat who asked not to be named.
Staff have been getting ready - cutting managers and budgets - ever since Trump's January announcement in a rush of directives and aid cuts that have disrupted a string of multilateral pacts and initiatives.
The year-long delay, mandated under U.S. law, means the U.S. is still a WHO member - its flag still flies outside the Geneva HQ - until its official departure date on January 21, 2026.
Trump - who accused the WHO of mishandling COVID, which it denies - muddied the waters days after his statement by saying he might consider rejoining the agency if its staff "clean it up".
But global health envoys say there has since been little sign of a change of heart. So the WHO is planning for life with a $600 million hole in the budget for this year and cuts of 21% over the next two-year period.
CHINA TAKES LEAD
As the United States prepares to exit, China is set to become the biggest provider of state fees - one of the WHO's main streams of funding alongside donations.
China's contribution will rise from just over 15% to 20% of the total state fee pot under an overhaul of the funding system agreed in 2022.
"We have to adapt ourselves to multilateral organisations without the Americans. Life goes on," Chen Xu, China's ambassador to Geneva, told reporters last month.
Others have suggested this might be a time for an even broader overhaul, rather than continuity under a reshuffled hierarchy of backers.
"Does WHO need all its committees? Does it need to be publishing thousands of publications each year?' said Anil Soni, chief executive of the WHO Foundation, an independent fund-raising body for the agency.
He said the changes had prompted a re-examination of the agency's operations, including whether it should be focussed on details like purchasing petrol during emergencies.
There was also the urgent need to make sure key projects do not collapse during the immediate cash crisis. That meant going to donors with particular interests in those areas, including pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic groups, Soni said.
The ELMA Foundation, which focuses on children's health in Africa with offices in the U.S., South Africa and Uganda, has already recently stepped in with $2 million for the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network known as Gremlin - more than 700 labs which track infectious disease threats, he added.
Other business at the assembly includes the rubber-stamping a historic agreement on how to handle future pandemics and drumming up more cash from donors at an investment round.
But the focus will remain on funding under the new world order. In the run up to the event, a WHO manager sent an email to staff asking them to volunteer, without extra pay, as ushers.
(Additional reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
2 hours ago
- Business Wire
WHO and UNICEF to Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign
GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PharmaJet ®, a company that strives to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with its enabling needle-free injection technology, today announced that the WHO prequalified Tropis ID delivery system will be used to support a polio eradication campaign sponsored by the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) Afghanistan, UNICEF, WHO, and other GPEI partners starting in August 2025. Focused on the Eastern region of Afghanistan, the campaign will deploy Tropis ID to administer 1.3 million fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to children ages 5 and under in parallel to oral polio vaccine (OPV) administration as part of a WHO-recommended strategy to boost humoral and mucosal immunity. Poliovirus has been eliminated in most parts of the world due to widespread vaccination campaigns, but it continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission rose significantly in Afghanistan. The use of Tropis ID enables site-to-site immunization, a strategy where vaccination services are offered at multiple, convenient locations. This approach is expected to help increase immunization coverage, particularly in high-risk areas. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication endorsed the Afghanistan program's 'Strategic Reset' to optimize site-to-site vaccination, while stressing the need for stronger leadership, community acceptance, and broad government engagement. Including Tropis ID fIPV in this immunization program supports Afghanistan's polio eradication goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages in the East, prevent new WPV1 cases in the East and South Regions, and prevent local transmission in other parts of the country. 1 'We are pleased to be partnering with UNICEF, WHO, and NEOC Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio,' said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President Global Business Development, PharmaJet. 'We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and high acceptability 2 previously seen with Tropis ID delivered fIPV in Pakistan, 2 Somalia, 3 and Nigeria 4.' Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks. About PharmaJet The PharmaJet mission is to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with our enabling technology that better activates the immune system. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet Precision Delivery Systems™ can improve vaccine effectiveness, allow for a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and offer a proven path to commercialization. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. The Stratis ® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark, and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis ® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. They are both commercially available for global immunization programs. For more information or if you are interested in partnering with PharmaJet visit or contact PharmaJet here. Follow us on LinkedIn. About the NEOC Afghanistan NEOC Afghanistan is led by the Ministry of Public Health and the core members are WHO, UNICEF, BMGF, CDC, Rotary International, Core Group of Polio Project (CGPP), EPI manager and the National Polio Focal Point. About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) 5 The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments with six partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. Launched in 1988 after the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with its partners, has helped countries to make huge progress in protecting the global population from this debilitating disease. As a result, the global incidence of polio has decreased by 99.9% since GPEI's foundation. An estimated 20 million people today are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease, and more than 1.5 million people are alive, whose lives would otherwise have been lost. Now the task remains to tackle polio in its last few strongholds and get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases including the two remaining endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. 1 World Health Organization, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Technical Advisory Group urges strong action to eradicate polio in Afghanistan, February 26, 2025 2 Daly, C et al, Needle-free injectors for mass administration of fractional dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) in Karachi, Pakistan: A survey of caregiver and vaccinator acceptability, Vaccine, Volume 38 Issue 8, 18 February, 2020, Pages 1893-1898 3 Nouh, K et al, Use of a fractional dose of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to increase IPV coverage among children under 5 years of age in Somalia, Springer Nature Volume 2 article number 16 (2024) 4 Biya, O et al, Notes from the Field: House-to-House Campaign Administration of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine — Sokoto State, Nigeria, November 2022, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, November 24, 2023 / 72(47);1290–1291 5 Global Polio Eradication Initiative, who we are:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
I stood up to shoplifters in Tesco. It ruined my life
When Emilie Martin reported a gang of shoplifters at a Tesco in Hackney for stealing, she had no idea she would be dealing with the fallout for the next decade. Ms Martin, then 29, noticed a group of teenagers stealing sandwiches and, seeing there was no security guard, she approached the store manager and informed them of the theft. The staff member said there was nothing they could do and admitted the gang raided the east London store on a near-daily basis. What Ms Martin did not know was that the gang had overheard her. Walking outside, Ms Martin, an event manager, was surrounded by the teenagers, sprayed with a drink, and when she threatened to call the police, she was punched in the face. Last week, Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, called for the public's help in tackling shoplifters. After seeing his comments, Ms Martin, now 39, felt she had to speak up and let the public know what the realities of standing up to criminals could be like. Ms Martin, who was assaulted in 2015, said she has been left with ongoing health issues and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was constantly re-traumatised during her four-year fight to receive a small amount of compensation. Ms Martin's attackers have never been caught. She claims the Metropolitan Police showed 'little concern' and that Tesco claimed CCTV footage of the incident had been 'lost in a technical error'. She said: 'The punch left me with permanent scarring, breathing problems, and the need for two operations on my eye and nose, plus another still pending after 18 months on an NHS waiting list. 'The physical injuries were only the start. I was diagnosed with PTSD, yet NHS mental health support has been a mirage: goalposts moved, waiting lists closed, and promises broken.' Ms Martin sought compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in 2017, but her claim was initially rejected, forcing her to go through two tribunal hearings. Six years after the assault, in June 2021, she was finally awarded £3,480. She said: 'Ten years on, I have been failed by every system meant to protect and support victims: the police, the justice system, the CICA, the NHS, and Tesco. On the night of the attack, I wasn't even offered an ice pack, let alone an apology.' Ms Martin said she understood the point Mr Barber was trying to make, and agreed that the public had a role to play in fighting the shoplifting epidemic. She said: 'The thing is, I agree with the principle of what Mr Barber is saying. I do think that apathy from society towards shoplifters is dangerous and unhealthy. 'But I also think that when people do stand up, a safety net for the victims, for those who do the right thing, has to be there and has to work.' Addressing Mr Barber in an open letter, she said: 'So, when you tell the public to intervene in shoplifting, I have to ask: do you understand what you are asking of us? 'Do you believe that, had you experienced what I have, you would still stand by those remarks? 'Where is the protection, the justice, the support for those who pay the price for acting as you suggest? 'I am not writing this to say 'don't stand up to crime.' I am writing to say: if you truly want the public to take that risk, then you must first guarantee that the police, the justice system, and victim support structures will not abandon them. 'Right now, I would not, because I know exactly what 'standing up' can cost, and I have paid that bill in full.' Mr Barber said the 'experience that Emilie suffered in London 10 years ago is horrific and has understandably lived with her ever since'. He said: 'It highlights why we need to do everything we can to reduce crime, particularly crimes such as shoplifting, which are not victimless as people sometimes think. 'Sadly, in Emilie's case, it appears that people just looked the other way and didn't try to help. A situation that I don't think anyone would want to be in.' Mr Barber added: 'It is for the police to cut crime and catch criminals, but it is for all of us to make sure we don't live in a society where people just look the other way and don't help those in distress.' 'Let down trying to do the right thing' Ms Martin said that, given her experience, she would not confront shoplifters again. She said she now suffers from chronic sinusitis as a result of the attack and has been waiting 18 months for an operation. Her PTSD, Ms Martin said, left her constantly on high alert and extremely anxious in certain situations. She said that reading reports about violent shoplifting gangs on an almost daily basis was also triggering. 'Tesco and Hackney Central are a bit of a no-go for me any more. If I see a group of teenage boys, I can't help it, I have to cross the road and get away from them. I am very nervous in supermarkets. 'If I was attacked, I don't feel as though I would be taken seriously or anything would happen.' This is only the second time Ms Martin has spoken publicly about her ordeal since it happened and she said she wanted other people who might be in similar situations to know that they were not alone. 'That is what worries me. Who knows how many people have had similar experiences and have been let down after trying to do the right thing.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'This was investigated thoroughly at the time and regrettably, we were unable to identify a suspect. 'The Met Police is working to support shopkeepers and tackle theft in the capital, this year solving 163 per cent more shoplifting cases than in the same period last year. 'If you see criminal activity taking place please call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.' Ms Martin said she wanted her case to lead to changes in the way the CICA deals with victims and for mandatory CCTV retention from large retailers like Tesco, or penalty fines, in cases involving violence. Analysis by The Telegraph has revealed that more chronic shoplifters and thieves are walking free than ever before. Almost six in 10 prolific thieves – defined as having at least 15 previous convictions – avoided prison last year, the highest proportion since Ministry of Justice records began more than a decade ago. Just 41.3 per cent received a custodial sentence, down from 46.4 per cent the previous year. Last week, Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, warned that there was no point in arresting shoplifters if courts keep setting them free without preventing offenders from carrying out further crimes. Sir Keir Starmer has made tackling shoplifting a priority for his Government, pledging to introduce laws that require police to investigate even if the goods stolen are worth less than £200. Ms Bourne's intervention came after police in North Wales provoked a huge public backlash when a shop owner was spoken to for putting up a sign calling shoplifters 'scumbags'. The Prime Minister later said that he personally would not refer to shoplifters using the term. A Government spokesman said: 'We understand the devastating impact of shop theft on retailers. Since Ms Martin applied for compensation in 2017, we have improved how victims apply for compensation with a better online system and improved training for staff so the process is more straight-forward. 'Our landmark Crime and Policing Bill will also end the effective immunity for theft of goods under £200 and bring in a specific offence for assaulting retail workers, while the Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy is gathering data to better target and respond to perpetrators.' Tesco has been approached for comment. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
7 hours ago
- CNN
Over-the-counter birth control pills have been available in the US for over a year. Here's who's using them
About two years after the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States, a new study suggests that many people who may not have had access to contraception before are now using the over-the-counter option. More than a quarter – 26.2% – of people now using over-the-counter oral contraceptives were using no modern method of birth control before, according to the study published Monday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open. People relying on the over-the-counter birth control pill, which requires no prescription, are more likely to be uninsured, adolescents and living in rural areas, the study found. Not having health insurance and residing in rural areas are two of the main barriers for people trying to access any health care, said the study's lead author, Dr. Maria Rodriguez, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and director of the OHSU Center for Women's Health. In July 2023, the FDA approved the birth control pill Opill to be available over-the-counter, making it the first nonprescription birth control pill available in the United States. In March 2024, the first shipments of Opill were sent to distributors, major drug stores and pharmacies. The pills became available in many retail pharmacy chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, costing $19.99 for a one-month supply, $49.99 for a three-month supply and $89.99 for a six-month pack. 'This pill is basically reaching the exact populations that need it the most, people with structural barriers to health care, and people that are at the greatest risk for the harms that come along with unintended pregnancy, in a country where we have a maternal health crisis and access to safe abortion is limited,' Rodriguez said. Rodriguez and her OHSU colleagues surveyed 986 people, ages 15 to 45, using an online questionnaire, asking specifically about their contraceptive use. The study participants were from 49 states, Rodriguez said, and they had obtained some form of oral contraceptive pills at pharmacy stores or online between April 2024 and February 2025. The researchers found that 32.5% of the study participants had used over-the-counter birth control pills. The survey data showed that having access to over-the-counter birth control pills was associated with an increase of 31.8 percentage points in switching to using the over-the-counter pill after using no contraception. 'Giving that choice to people who can become pregnant, to control their own access to contraception, I think is really powerful,' Rodriguez said. 'It's also something that is done around the globe. The US is really delayed in making a form of oral contraception available over the counter. Over 30 countries around the world have had this available for use for many years, and we know that it's safe and effective.' The survey data also revealed that one of the most common reasons why the study participants said they were using the over-the-counter birth control pill was because it did not require a doctor's appointment to get a prescription. 'Not having insurance makes it a lot harder to be able to afford to get into a clinic to get any kind of care that's preventative,' Rodriguez said, adding that people living in rural areas often have limited options for reproductive health care. 'We're seeing that with labor and delivery units closing due to costs, a shrinking of the contraceptive workforce, and then there's the suggestion that we also are seeing some providers leaving states post-Dobbs too, all of which is impacting contraceptive access for people.' The researchers wrote that their study provides a 'first look' at who is using over-the-counter oral contraceptive pills, 'as the method has been available in the US for only approximately a year.' And while the study estimates what the early uptake of over-the-counter birth control pills has been in the past year, more research is needed to assess how that uptake may change over time and what impact it may have on unintended pregnancy rates. Opill was approved by the FDA without age restrictions and is 'suitable for most people of reproductive age to use to prevent pregnancy,' according to its website. Opill works as a 'mini-pill,' using only the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy. It's a different formulation than what is in combination hormonal birth control pills, which contain both progestin and estrogen. Combined birth control pills may carry risks for people with uncontrolled hypertension or blood clot risks for smokers older than 35. Contraindications for progestin-only pills include conditions such as breast cancer or liver disease, or the use of certain medications. When taken as directed at the same time every day, Opill has been found to be 98% effective at preventing pregnancy, according to Perrigo, the company behind the product. Most birth control pills are up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy if taken as instructed every day. Last year, when Opill first became available, public health experts anticipated that it would benefit women living in remote rural areas, Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who specializes in adolescent care, said at the time. 'The biggest population that will benefit from this are those who have limited access to contraception in the first place,' Oelschlager said last year. 'There are a lot of people in our country that live in what we would call contraceptive deserts, and these are areas where they have limited to no access to a reproductive health care provider, meaning they'd have to drive really far away to be able to access a provider.' The more avenues through which people can access contraception – whether it's over the counter in a store or online – the more control they can have over their reproductive health and choices, Megan Kavanaugh, a principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit that has been tracking the rollout of Opill, said last year. 'It's a huge milestone that Opill is available over the counter,' she said last year. 'And I think we should really celebrate the milestone, and we should situate this milestone on this trajectory of always wanting to move towards increased access for all people.'
