Trump cuts WHO off from Gavi vaccine alliance funding | Donald Trump News
U.S. Cuts WHO Funding, Redirects $600 Million to Gavi Amid Ongoing Dispute
Published July 30, 2026
The United States has announced a significant financial shift, releasing $600 million to the global vaccine alliance Gavi while severing funding for the World Health Organization (WHO). This decision represents a notable setback for the UN agency and underscores the ongoing tensions between the U.S. administration and the organization.
In a joint statement, officials from the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the U.S. government would not provide funding to the WHO through Gavi. The administration cited directives from President Donald Trump, instructing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate reforms with Gavi as a prerequisite for future U.S. support.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican who has advocated for the restoration of U.S. funding for global vaccination efforts, commended the decision. The State Department noted that Gavi has committed to working towards the elimination of mercury-containing vaccines, aiming to replace them with mercury-free alternatives in collaboration with its board and partner nations.
The Trump administration’s actions against the WHO are rooted in long-standing grievances. In 2020, Trump called for a temporary halt of U.S. funding to the WHO, criticizing its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accusing the agency of amplifying misinformation from China. At that time, the U.S. was the largest donor to the WHO, contributing over $400 million in 2019, which constituted approximately 15 percent of the organization’s budget.
In January 2021, President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s decisions, reinstating funding and discontinuing the withdrawal process from the WHO. However, on January 20, 2025, Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the organization and suspended all contributions.
Experts have criticized these policy shifts as driven more by ideology than by strategic considerations. The WHO is funded through a combination of member state contributions and voluntary donations from various partners. Its budget, approximately $3.4 billion, is significantly smaller than that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which received $9.3 billion in core funding for 2023.
The WHO supports critical health programs aimed at combating diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and measles, particularly in nations with limited healthcare resources. Additionally, it responds to health emergencies in conflict-affected regions, including Gaza, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
