The United States announced on Thursday, July 30, 2026, that it will release $600 million in funding to Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, while cutting off financial support to the World Health Organization (WHO) through Gavi. This move marks a significant financial setback for the United Nations agency.

In a joint statement, the US Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services declared, “The United States also reaffirms that it will not provide US Government funding to the World Health Organization through Gavi.” The decision aligns with directives from US President Donald Trump 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.

Gavi has agreed to work towards replacing mercury-containing vaccines with mercury-free alternatives in collaboration with its board and partner countries. US Republican Senator Susan Collins, who advocated for reinstating US funding to the global immunization program, welcomed the decision.

This latest action continues a history of tension between the Trump administration and the WHO. In 2020, Trump temporarily halted funding to the WHO, accusing it of promoting China’s disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, which he claimed contributed to its global spread. In January 2021, then-President Joe Biden reversed these decisions, restoring funding and halting the US withdrawal from the WHO. However, on January 20, 2025, the first day of his second term, Trump announced the US withdrawal from the WHO and suspended contributions.

Sources