Below are the opening lines of an article on Health Policy Watch. Read online: https://healthpolicy-watch.news/us-proposal-to-eliminate-paho-funding-ra...
PAHO currently receives half its funding from the US Government.
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Pan American Health Organization 03/09/2026
PAHO headquarters in Washington, DC, in 2026. The US administration has called the organization “corrupt” as it proposes to eliminate funding.
A group of senior national security and health officials voiced their concern that cutting funding to the regional health organization cripples the Western Hemisphere’s ability to defend itself against disease threats. Reductions in staff and other cost-saving measures are likely, the organization says...
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COMMENT (NPW): The article focuses on the potential impact of withdrawal of US funding on regional health. I would add that there would lso be a substantial global impact. The collective strength of WHO is dependent on the strength of its constituent regional offices. This will inevitably damage the global evidence ecosystem driving evidence-informed policy and practice.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org