WHO funding plan watered down after U.S. calls for reform - draft document

WHO funding plan watered down after U.S. calls for reform - draft document A planned funding overhaul aimed at strengthening the World Health Organization (WHO) has been partly watered down, according to an internal document seen by Reuters, after pressure from the United States and other donor countries. Francesco Guarascio Reuters

BRUSSELS, April 20 (Reuters) -  ...

The WHO is currently funded mostly by voluntary contributions from governments and private donors, a set-up that the U.N. agency and independent panels of experts have said is unsustainable as the organisation faces new challenges, including higher risks of pandemics.

In a bid to reduce the agency's reliance on donations with strings attached, a WHO working group proposed in January to increase mandatory contributions to the agency's budget read more .

But after criticism from several donors, including the United States, rises in mandatory fees have now been tied to reforms meant to make the U.N. body more efficient and transparent, according to the WHO's internal document. ...