Brussels – The United States, a major contributor to the World Health Organization, is opposed to proposals to make the organization independent, say four officials who took part in the talks, raising doubts about Biden’s long-standing support for UN agencies.
The proposal, made by the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Funding, will increase the contribution of each member state annually, according to a WHO online publication dated January 4th.
The program is part of a broader transformation process reinforced by the COVID-19 epidemic, which highlights the WHO’s ability to intervene in the emergence of a disaster.
But the US government opposes the change because it has concerns about the WHO’s ability to deal with future threats, including those from China, U.S. officials told Reuters.
Instead it strives to create a separate fund, directly managed by donors, that can fund and prevent and control health emergencies.
Four European officials involved in the talks, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the U.S. opposition. The US government did not immediately comment.
The published proposal calls for compulsory donations from member states to increase gradually from 2024 to account for the main budget of $ 2 billion by 2028, compared to less than 20% now, the statement said.
The WHO’s main budget is aimed at fighting the epidemic and strengthening health care systems around the world. It also raises another $ 1 billion or more a year to address some of the global challenges such as tropical diseases and the flu.