The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines to help countries cope with the effects of sudden cuts in external health funding, which are disrupting essential health services in many low- and middle-income countries.
The guidance, titled “Responding to the Health Financing Emergency: Immediate Measures and Longer-Term Shifts,” outlines policy options for governments to manage financial shocks and secure sustainable funding for their national health systems.
According to WHO, external health aid is expected to decline by 30–40 percent in 2025 compared to 2023. The organization warns that this drop is already causing major challenges for countries that depend heavily on donor support.
A WHO survey conducted in March 2025 across 108 low- and middle-income countries found that funding cuts have reduced critical health services—such as maternal care, vaccination programs, emergency preparedness, and disease surveillance—by up to 70% in some nations.
More than 50 countries also reported job losses among health workers and disruptions in medical training programs.
The WHO said the new guidance aims to help countries take urgent short-term measures while building more resilient and self-sustaining health financing systems in the long run.