Can China fill funding and leadership gaps after America quit the WHO?

Vanuatu aimed to secure crucial international aid for its health programs at the recent World Health Organization (WHO) assembly in Geneva, highlighting the severe impact of global funding cuts on Pacific island nations. Jenny Stephens, Vanuatu's director of public health, stated, "I’m here to lobby for support," and added, "We are experiencing the global funding cuts – it’s affecting our programmes like malaria, TB and HIV. We’re already struggling."

These funding shortages have led to the halting or cancellation of thousands of health programs across the Global South. This situation stems directly from the United States' withdrawal from the WHO and its subsequent termination of funding and foreign aid, following the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The WHO estimates that these aid cuts have already deprived approximately 53 million people in crisis situations of essential healthcare access.

The U.S. officially withdrew from the WHO earlier this year, making the recent World Health Assembly the first to occur without American participation since President Donald Trump ordered the pullout in January 2025. In the wake of Washington's departure, China has emerged as the WHO's largest assessed contributor for the first time. This development prompts significant questions about whether Beijing possesses the capacity not only to bridge the substantial funding gap left by the U.S. but also to fill the leadership void within the global health organization.

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I’m here to lobby for support. We are experiencing the global funding cuts – it’s affecting our programmes like malaria, TB and HIV. We’re already struggling.