Baku: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has highlighted the dire consequences of the United States halting its financial aid to global health and humanitarian programs. This announcement was made during the panel titled “Reimagining Multilateralism for a Multipolar World” at the 12th Global Baku Forum.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Dr. Tedros emphasized that the U.S. contributes 30% of all overseas development assistance. The sudden disruption of this funding is significantly affecting health and humanitarian work worldwide. He pointed out the imminent shutdown of WHO’s network of over 700 laboratories crucial for detecting outbreaks of measles and rubella, which increases the risk of local outbreaks and global spread.

The WHO Director-General expressed concern over the impact of U.S. funding cuts on disease-specific programs such as polio eradication efforts and the response to mpox epidemics in Africa. Additionally, he noted the broader implications on humanitarian crises, with 24 million vulnerable individuals at risk of losing access to essential health services. Over 2,600 health facilities in 12 humanitarian settings have either suspended services or are on the verge of doing so.

Dr. Tedros also highlighted specific regional impacts, such as in Haiti and Ethiopia, where job losses, salary cuts, and disrupted drug supplies have jeopardized health monitoring and response capabilities. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the largest refugee camp globally, critical health services, including Hepatitis C treatment, have been disrupted.

Dr. Tedros warned of the potential for an additional 15 million malaria cases and 107,000 deaths this year, alongside millions of new HIV cases and related deaths if funding disruptions continue. He acknowledged the U.S.’s right to decide its support levels, appreciating its historical generosity, while urging it to maintain funding until sustainable solutions are identified.