The US releases $600 million for the Gavi vaccine alliance while cutting the WHO out of that funding

The US government announced on Thursday, 30 July 2026 (8 Mordad 1405), the release of $600 million for the global vaccine alliance Gavi, while at the same time cutting the World Health Organization out of that funding.

In a joint statement, the US Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services said: "The United States also reaffirms that it will not provide US Government funding to the World Health Organization through Gavi." According to the statement, the decision follows President Donald Trump's instructions to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate reforms with Gavi as a condition for renewed US support. The State Department said Gavi had agreed to work towards replacing mercury-containing vaccines with mercury-free alternatives, in partnership with its board and partner countries. Republican Senator Susan Collins, who had pushed for the reinstatement of US funding for the programme, welcomed the decision.

The WHO's budget stands at about $3.4 billion, roughly a third of that of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which received $9.3 billion in core funding in 2023. On the first day of his second term, 20 January 2025, Trump announced the US withdrawal from the WHO and suspended US contributions.