The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that 70% of its country offices surveyed are already witnessing serious disruptions in health services due to the abrupt suspension and reduction of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for health. The concerning findings were shared on Friday in a statement issued by the WHO, following a rapid assessment carried out between March and April 2025.
This assessment, involving 108 WHO country offices and focusing largely on low- and lower-middle-income countries, underscores the mounting strain on global health systems. The organisation has cautioned that the effects of these funding cuts could have long-term repercussions for healthcare delivery worldwide. The report stressed the immediate need for collaborative global action to reinforce health systems, particularly in the most fragile regions.
“Many countries are attempting to increase or reallocate funding from domestic and alternative external sources to address the funding gaps.
“However, up to 24% of WHO country office responses suggest that budget cuts are already leading to increased out-of-pocket payments, disproportionately affecting the poor and vulnerable,” the report stated.
Commenting on the implications, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the assessment revealed an alarming picture of the health consequences millions may face due to unplanned aid cuts. He noted, “Although these cuts are a shock, they are also accelerating the transition from aid dependency to more sustainable self-reliance based on domestic resources.”
Dr Ghebreyesus added that numerous countries have reached out to the WHO for support, and the organisation is actively working with them to identify the most suitable measures tailored to their contexts. He explained that this preliminary stock take reflects real-time insights from WHO country offices, which maintain close ties with national health ministries and provide ongoing technical support in health systems policy and planning.
He emphasised that the primary goal was to pinpoint the critical support countries need in order to avert potentially devastating effects on public health, while keeping pace with the fast-changing situation.
According to the WHO, cuts in ODA are affecting every aspect of health systems. The most frequently reported consequences include interruptions in health emergency preparedness and response (70%), public health surveillance (66%), service provision (58%), humanitarian assistance (56%), and workforce capacity (54%).
The WHO report revealed that at least one-third of the surveyed countries have experienced widespread disruptions across all health services. These include severe impacts on efforts to detect and respond to disease outbreaks, as well as on services related to malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, family planning, and maternal and child health.
In certain regions, the magnitude of the disruptions is said to be comparable to the most critical stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. One-third of the countries surveyed reported acute shortages of medicines and medical products essential to major healthcare services. Furthermore, over half of the countries disclosed job losses among health and care workers and major setbacks to workforce training initiatives.
Health information systems have also suffered. More than 40% of countries reported significant disruptions to essential data systems, such as surveillance platforms, laboratory networks, health management information systems, and national population surveys.
Dr Ghebreyesus noted that 81 out of the 108 WHO country offices have already flagged the urgent need for assistance across multiple health areas. These include the development of innovative financing models, technical support, and capacity-building measures.
He concluded by reaffirming WHO’s commitment to closely monitor developments and to collaborate with international health partners and donor agencies, not only to support emergency interventions but also to ensure the long-term sustainability of health systems under pressure.
