ＷＨＯ、予算削減後も２８００億円不足 報道

【ジュネーブＡＦＰ＝時事】世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）は、米国の脱退表明を受け、今年から２０２７年まで資金難に直面するとの見方を２日、メディアが報じた。（写真はＷＨＯのテドロス・アダノム・ゲブレイェスス事務局長。資料写真）
　ＷＨＯは来年１月の米国の完全撤退を見据え、既に２６～２７年の２年間の予算案を５３億ドル（約７９００億円）から４２億ドル（約６３００億円）に削減。それでもなお、１９億ドル（約２８００億円）不足しているとヘルス・ポリシー・ウォッチは報じている。
　ＡＦＰはＷＨＯに取材を申し込んだが、報道に対するコメントは得られなかった。
　ドナルド・トランプ米大統領は１月に２期目の政権発足後、ＷＨＯからの米国脱退を発表。さらに、世界中の保健事業に対する巨額の支援を含め、ほぼすべての米国の対外援助の凍結を決定した。
　米国は２２～２３年、主にＷＨＯの特定のプログラムに自発的に出資する形で１３億ドル（約１９００億円）拠出した。
　しかしＷＨＯによると、２４年分の分担金の拠出を停止しており、２５年分の加盟義務を順守する見込みはない。ＷＨＯの概要によると、米国は２４～２５年だけで計２億６０００万ドル（約３９０億円）の拠出を停止している。
　テドロス・アダノム・ゲブレイェスス事務局長は３月２８日、職員に対し、ＷＨＯはこの１年だけで約６億ドル（約９００億円）の資金減に直面していると述べ、「最善の努力を尽くしているが、業務と人員規模を縮小せざるを得ない状況にある」と電子メールで通知。
　「この削減は、本部の幹部から始まるが、すべてのレベルとあらゆる地域に影響を及ぼすだろう」との考えを示していた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/04/03-17:10）

The World Health Organization is facing a gaping deficit this year and through 2027 following the US decision to withdraw, even after dramatically slashing its budget, a media report indicated on Wednesday.
As the United Nations health agency has been bracing for the planned full US withdrawal next January, it has gradually shrunk its two-year budget for 2026-2027 from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion.
But even after that dramatic scaling back, it remains $1.9 billion short towards the budget, Health Policy Watch reported Wednesday.
That figure, which the publication said had been provided to staff during a town hall meeting on Tuesday, comes on top of the nearly $600 million the agency had already warned was missing towards this year's budget, it said.
WHO did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the report, which comes as the organisation is grappling with the looming departure of its historically biggest donor.
Besides announcing the US pullout from the WHO after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump decided to freeze virtually all US foreign aid, including vast assistance to health projects worldwide.
The United States gave WHO $1.3 billion during its 2022-2023 budget period, mainly through voluntary contributions for specific, earmarked projects rather than fixed membership fees.
But Washington never paid its 2024 dues, and is not expected to respect its membership obligations for 2025, the agency acknowledged.
Altogether, the United States owes $260 million in membership fees alone for 2024-2025, according to a WHO overview.
In an effort to bridge the funding gap, outgoing German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced on Wednesday his government would allocate an additional two million euros ($2.2 million) to the agency, bringing its total contribution to just over $317 million.
The United States' withdrawal from the WHO not only threatens financial stability but also multilateral cooperation in the global health architecture, Lauterbach said in a statement, calling the agency indispensable.
Only last Friday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had informed staff of the $600-million hole in this year's budget, warning in a message seen by AFP that the agency had no choice but to start making cutbacks.
Dramatic cuts to official development assistance by the United States of America and others are causing massive disruption to countries, NGOs and United Nations agencies, including WHO, Tedros said in his email.
He said that even before Trump triggered the one-year process of withdrawing from the WHO, the organisation was already facing financial constraints.
Despite our best efforts, we are now at the point where we have no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce, said Tedros.
This reduction will begin at headquarters, starting with senior leadership, but will affect all levels and regions, he told staff.
Last month, Tedros asked Washington to reconsider its sharp cuts to global health funding, warning that the sudden halt threatened millions of lives.
He said disruptions to global HIV programmes alone could lead to more than 10 million additional cases of HIV and three million HIV-related deaths.