Published in its print edition on May 24 – 30, 2025
THE World Health Organization is getting the flak for the latest 20-percent mandatory membership fee increase which, according to consumer group, is draining the resources of the members.
The second consecutive 20-percent hike has been buckled by underfunding, growing waitlists, and staff shortages, the Consumer Choice Center, an international non-partisan consumer advocacy group that props up policies fit for growth, promotes choice, and embraces tech innovation.
The WHO has been tagged as allegedly redirecting hundreds of millions of dollars into flexible, unaccountable funding streams it controls without oversight.
The WHO used to have voluntary contributions from donors for specific programs. Yet, the membership fees it assesses give it the flexible funding to allocate with full control or free rein.
The WHO officials are getting the brunt of tirades as the anti-polio fund is being used instead to upgrade the WHO’s Geneva headquarters and a senior official has the $33,000-per-child education allowances, which CCC said, is enough to fund lifesaving HIV treatment for 110 South Africans for a full year.
The group has also castigated the WHO’s 301 most senior officials’ almost $130 million annual salaries, about $432,000 per person, including generous benefits and allowances.
Owing to the dip in their budget when US withdrew from the organization, the WHO member states approved a 20% increase in membership fees as they endorsed the Organization’s 2026–2027 budget of US$ 4.2 billion during the 78th World Health Assembly recently.
The lack of transparency and impartiality within the organization, coupled with the hikes in membership dues, are slowly killing their own group.
Sooner or later.#
