WHO Issues Urgent Guidance Amid Global Health Financing Crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued new guidance to help countries manage drastic cuts in external health funding. The document is titled “Responding to the health financing emergency: immediate measures and longer-term shifts.” 

Global external health aid is expected to fall by 30-40% in 2025 compared with 2023, affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) the most. 

In a survey of 108 LMICs from March 2025, many reported that up to 70% of services such as maternal care, vaccinations and disease surveillance were disrupted. Additionally, more than 50 countries cited job cuts among health workers. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said:

“Sudden and unplanned cuts to aid have hit many countries hard, costing lives and jeopardising hard-won health gains.” 

The new guidance emphasises that health spending should be viewed as an investment, not a cost. It urges governments to:

• Protect health budgets and essential services.
• Prioritise care for the poorest and most vulnerable.
• Improve efficiency via better procurement and strategic purchasing.
• Integrate donor-funded programmes into broader primary health care services.
• Use health-technology assessments to target high-impact interventions. 

WHO and partners plan to launch a new “UHC Knowledge Hub” in December 2025, supported by Japan and the World Bank, to help countries navigate this financing shock.