WHO under attack: cutbacks, populism and the dismantling of health as a common good

Abstract

In a windowless room at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, the work continues. Public health professionals are still analyzing data, issuing alerts, and drafting technical reports. However, the team has been significantly reduced. Since late 2020, more than 200 employees have been dismissed—not due to underperformance or misconduct, but as a result of a substantial decrease in financial resources, particularly following the reduction of funding from the United States (1).