By John Ikani
The United States is resisting proposals to make the World Health Organization (WHO) more independent, raising doubts of the Biden administration’s long-term support of the United Nations agency.
Four officials involved in the proposal aimed at strengthening WHO anonymously confirmed the US opposition to Reuters.
The proposal, made by the WHO’s working group on sustainable financing, would increase each member state’s standing annual contribution, according to a WHO document published online and dated Jan. 4.
The plan is part of a wider reform process galvanised by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has highlighted the limitations of the WHO’s power to intervene early in a crisis.
However, the US Government – the WHO’s top donor – is opposing the reform due to its concerns about the agency’s ability to confront future threats, like from China, a US official told Reuters.
Instead, it is pushing to create a separate fund directly controlled by donors that would finance the prevention and control of health emergencies, according to European officials involved in the talks.
The WHO’s core budget is aimed at fighting pandemics and strengthening healthcare systems across the world.
It also raises an additional $1 billion or so a year to tackle specific global challenges such as tropical diseases and influenza.
Supporters say that the current reliance on voluntary funding from member states and from charities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation forces the WHO to focus on priorities set by the funders, and makes it less able to criticise members when things go wrong.
