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What does the World Health Organisation do and who funds it?

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has announced he will stop US funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO) amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump said the agency, made of 194 member states, did not do enough to stop Covid-19. But what does the WHO do and who funds it?

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

 Dr Tedros Adhanom, former Health Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopiais the current WHO Director-General
Dr Tedros Adhanom, former Health Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopiais the current WHO Director-GeneralCredit: EPA

What is the World Health Organisation (WHO)?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a United Nations (UN) agency that aims to “promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable”.

The WHO headquarters are based in Geneva, Switzerland and has 150 offices around the world.

When did it start?

The WHO was first set u on April 7, 1948, and is commemorated each year on the same date withWorld Health Day.

It is governed by the Wold health Assembly which convenes annually and is responsible for selecting the Director-General.

It also helps the agency to set goals for the year and approves the WHO's budget and activities.

The first meeting of the World Health Assembly the agency's governing body, took place on 24 July 1948.

 The WHO is a UN agency that aims to 'promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable'
The WHO is a UN agency that aims to 'promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable'Credit: Handout

After the Second World War, a range of world health bodies – including one for the League of Nations – were combined to form the WHO.

It started worldwide activities in 1951 due to financial and technical funding.

The current Director-General is Tedros Adhanom, former Health Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia.

What does the WHO do?

The agency advises member state Governments on monitoring public health risks and coordinating responses to health emergencies such as the global coronavirus outbreak.

It also provides assistance to countries, sets international health standards and guidelines, and collects data on global health issues through the World Health Survey.

The agency is involved in things like vaccination campaigns, helping people deal with health emergencies and supporting countries with healthcare systems.

Who funds the World Health Organisation?

The WHO gets its money, primarily, from its 194 member countries, as well as private donations.

The WHO has a total annual budget of over $4.2 billion, most of which comes from voluntary contributions from member states. The main donators are:

  • The US - In 2018 and 2019, the US provided $893million - around a seventh of the agency's total yearly funding and around 15% of its annual budget. On Wednesday, April 15, Donald Trump announced he would halt funding to the agency, saying the WHO did not do enough to stop Covid-19 from spreading.
  • Bill Gates - The charity that Microsoft founder runs with his wife, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, gives gives the second largest amount of money to the WHO. The billionaire entrepreneur said the organisation's "work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organisation can replace them".
  • UK - In the two years between 2020-2021, the UK will contribute £17.3m. The Uk provides the third biggest contributions to the WHO - around 7.79% of the annual budget - and contributed $435million between 2018 and 2019.
  • China  - The country gave donated around $86m in contributions  between 2018-19. China has also committed to a further $57million in funding in 2020.
  • The GAVI Alliace:  GAVI is an international organisation created in 2000 to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries. It contributes more than $370 million.
  • Other European nations - Germany contributes around 5.68% of the agency's annual budget, while the European Commission provides a further 3.3%.

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