The President of the United States has reportedly threatened to freeze the country’s funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing it of failing to take necessary steps to combat Covid-19. The president argued that the WHO had undeservedly praised China for its transparency in dealing with the virus, despite inconsistencies suggesting a higher death toll than officially reported. It’s worth noting that the United States is currently the WHO’s biggest sponsor, providing $553.1 million, which accounts for 14.67% of total funding.
About the WHO
The World Health Organization, founded in 1948, operates as a specialized agency under the United Nations with responsibility for international public health matters. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the organization relies on various contributions for its funding:
Funding of WHO
Assessed contributions are mandatory dues countries pay in order to be members of the organization. These amounts are calculated based on each member state’s wealth and population. Besides, there are Specified voluntary contributions that come from fellow Member States or other partners, supplementing their assessed contribution. Equally important are Core voluntary contributions that help less well-funded activities by affording them a steady flow of resources and easing implementation obstacles due to immediate financing constraints. Lastly, the WHO receives Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) contributions, launched in 2011 to bolster the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential and increase developing countries’ access to vaccines and related supplies.
Decline in Assessed Contributions
Regrettably, there has been a noticeable decline in assessed contributions to the WHO in recent years, falling to less than one-fourth of its funding. These recurring payments are critical for the WHO as they guarantee a certain level of predictability and reduce dependence on a constricted donor base.
WHO and India’s Relationship
The WHO has been actively collaborating with India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and different state governments on measures such as surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory and research protocols, risk communications, hospital preparedness, infection prevention training, and setting up a cluster containment plan in response to Covid-19. However, the Indian government seems to have deviated from some of the periodic advisories from WHO in managing COVID-19 and has instead resorted to guidelines from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the experiences of several states within the country.
A Look at India’s Deviation from WHO Advisory
One such deviation is the issue of travel restrictions to China. On January 30, 2020, despite a global alert issued by the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for containment, surveillance, detection, isolation, and contact tracing, it did not recommend travel restrictions to China. However, India had already placed an advisory against non-essential travel to China five days prior, on January 25, 2020. Another deviation is on indiscriminate testing; while WHO was promoting “test, test, test” on March 16, ICMR in contrast announced there would be no indiscriminate testing, only isolation, a few days later. This was followed by a countrywide lockdown initiated by India. Furthermore, India diverges from WHO advice in its treatment strategies. While WHO suggests that there is no reliable anti-COVID-19 treatment, India initially incorporated two undertrial antivirals — lopinavir and ritonavir into their clinical care guidelines. They later revised it to include hydroxychloroquine and antibiotic azithromycin. Nevertheless, India will be participating in a global drug trial led by the WHO.