Devex: With WHO funding on hold, USAID looks to alternate partners
“With U.S. funding to the World Health Organization frozen for 60 to 90 days while the White House conducts a review of the international body’s response to COVID-19, the U.S. Agency for International Development is looking for alternate partners to carry out health programs that it previously supported through WHO. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, U.S. officials could not confirm who will lead the review of WHO that President Donald Trump announced along with the pause on funding last week, nor could they say what conditions WHO will have to meet in order to see its funding resumed…” (Igoe, 4/23).

Reuters: U.S. says review of WHO to assess if the body is run in ‘the way it should be’
“The United States will assess if the World Health Organization is being run properly following President Donald Trump’s pause in U.S. funding to the global body, the acting head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said on Wednesday. Washington will also use this time to look for alternative partners outside the WHO to continue to carry out ‘important work’ such as on vaccines, to ensure there is no disruption to U.S. aid efforts, added John Barsa, who heads USAID, the key U.S. government agency that administers foreign aid. Separately, the United States announced more than $270 million in additional foreign assistance provided by Congress to respond to the coronavirus outbreak…” (Brunnstrom et al., 4/22).

Additional coverage of global funding for the COVID-19 pandemic response is available from Devex.