Trump cuts WHO off from Gavi vaccine alliance funding

Key Points:

• The United States has announced a $600 million funding release for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, while simultaneously cutting off funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) through Gavi, marking a significant financial setback for the UN agency.
• The US government stated it will not provide funding to the WHO via Gavi, following President Trump's directive for reforms as a condition for renewed support to the vaccine alliance.
• Gavi has agreed to work towards replacing mercury-containing vaccines with mercury-free alternatives, in collaboration with its board and partner countries.
• This move continues the Trump administration’s adversarial stance toward the WHO, which included halting WHO funding in 2020 over alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and fully withdrawing US contributions upon Trump's return to office in 2025.
• The WHO's budget, about $3.4 billion, supports critical global health programs and emergency responses, but is significantly smaller than the CDC’s funding, highlighting the impact of reduced US contributions on global health initiatives.