Global health is in crisis. Aid cuts are collapsing life-saving systems around the world.
In early 2025, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from WHO, stripping away nearly 20% of critical funding.
The consequences are already devastating:
- 2,600+ health facilities across 12 crisis-affected countries have suspended or are about to suspend services.
- People in at least 70 countries are missing out on essential medical treatment.
- In the U.S., a measles outbreak has resurged with 378 cases across 17 states and the first related death in a decade.
- Worldwide, urgent responses to cholera, polio, and Ebola outbreaks are delayed.
And this is just the beginning.
What’s at Stake?
Without immediate funding:
Vaccination programs are losing momentum
Immunization programs protecting children from measles, polio, and rubella face serious danger due to funding gaps. WHO has already lost 14 key immunization experts, vaccine rollout support in 25 countries, and funding for 700 critical disease surveillance labs worldwide are at irreversible risk.
67 million children should not have to miss basic vaccines for measles or polio.
Women & children suffer the greatest impact
WHO-supported maternal health services—including critical birth assistance and emergency care—are now under threat. Just last year, WHO helped deliver 1.3 million babies safely in conflict zones and fragile areas. But hundreds of clinics providing this essential care have already closed.
Without care, birth complications become fatal. Newborns die in the first hours of life.
HIV & TB treatments are ending
Life-saving HIV and TB treatments face an imminent end, putting decades of progress at risk. By June 2025, eight countries could run out of essential HIV medications. WHO’s TB team has lost most of its funding, and vital new HIV prevention tools and TB vaccines face critical delays.
Interruptions in treatment fuel drug resistance and cost lives that could have been saved.
Epidemics left undetected and untreated
Without consistent funding, global health systems’ ability to quickly detect and stop deadly outbreaks are threatened. WHO can no longer rapidly deploy teams and supplies to contain diseases like Ebola, avian flu, or cholera. Nearly half of WHO’s disease surveillance staff have already been cut.
Delayed responses let diseases spread unchecked — turning preventable outbreaks into deadly epidemics.
We can’t wait. We must act now.
Where Your Support Makes an Impact
1. Rapid Response to Emergencies
When crises strike—natural disasters, conflict, or disease outbreaks—WHO acts immediately. Right now in 2025 WHO is tackling 42 ongoing health emergencies, reaching 305 million people in need of urgent care.
WHO has delivered critical supplies, rebuilt health systems, and supported health workers in some of the most challenging environments. But the need is immense, and millions more are waiting for help.
Together, we can ensure every person affected by emergencies gets the care they need when they need it most.
Your support helps WHO respond faster, save more lives, and rebuild communities.
2. Advancing Mental Health and Well-Being for All
One in eight people globally lives with a mental health condition, yet stigma and limited access prevent many from seeking help. WHO is breaking barriers, expanding access to care, and championing mental health as a global priority.
In 2025, WHO is scaling up mental health resources and services, particularly in conflict zones and underserved areas.
Together, we can create a world where mental health care is available for everyone, everywhere.
Your donation helps provide life-saving support to those in need.
3. Protecting Women’s Health: Empowering Lives, Strengthening Communities
Every day, 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, most in low-resource settings. Millions more lack access to essential health services, including family planning, cancer screenings, and mental health care.
WHO has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges. It has trained thousands of health workers, expanded access to safe childbirth and reproductive health services, and delivered HPV vaccines to millions of girls to prevent cervical cancer. WHO also works to combat violence against women and provide tailored mental health support.
Together, we can ensure no woman dies needlessly from preventable causes.
Your contribution empowers women to lead healthier lives, strengthens families, and builds stronger communities.
4. Childhood Vaccinations: A Lifeline for Generations
Vaccines save millions of lives each year, yet in 2023, 21 million children missed vital immunizations, leaving them vulnerable to diseases like polio, measles, and diphtheria.
WHO has led global vaccination efforts, reducing polio cases by 99% since 1988 and ensuring vaccines reach even the most remote communities. These efforts protect children from preventable diseases, giving them the chance to grow, thrive, and dream of brighter futures.
Together, we can ensure no child is left behind.
Your support brings life-saving vaccines to children who need them most, building healthier generations.
5. Stopping the Spread of Infectious Diseases
Thanks to WHO’s scientific guidelines and approval of medicines, diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV now have life-saving treatments that are affordable and widely accessible. WHO has coordinated the rollout of malaria vaccines to children in 17 African countries, while ensuring treatments for TB, HIV, and mpox reach the most vulnerable. These efforts have saved millions of lives and drastically reduced infection rates worldwide.
WHO’s global coordination ensures that outbreaks like mpox and other emerging diseases are stopped before they spread, protecting health systems and communities everywhere.
Together, we can stop the spread of deadly diseases and ensure life-saving vaccines and treatments reach everyone, everywhere.
Your support strengthens these vital efforts, saving lives and safeguarding futures for generations to come.
6. Tackling Cancer, Diabetes, and Heart Disease
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease account for 75% of deaths globally. WHO leads efforts to prevent and manage these conditions through research, advocacy, and policy, improving health outcomes worldwide.
Despite progress, these silent killers remain the leading cause of death. WHO is working to ensure prevention and treatment reach every corner of the world.
Together, we can reduce the burden of NCDs and create healthier communities.
Your support drives action to prevent these diseases and save millions of lives.
Why Support WHO Through the WHO Foundation?
WHO’s work touches lives everywhere. From disease prevention to emergency response, WHO safeguards global health and well-being.
By supporting the WHO Foundation, you enable WHO to act decisively, save lives, and create a healthier, safer future for everyone.
The need is urgent, but together, we can meet it. Your contribution fuels WHO’s life-saving work. Join us today to help shape a healthier world.
You donate—we act.
