Indonesia Backs Higher Mandatory WHO Contributions
Indonesia's health minister urged countries to raise their mandatory payments to the World Health Organization after the United States withdrew.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in COVID-19
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Indonesia's health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin supported higher mandatory contributions from countries to the World Health Organization, which has been left with a reduced budget after the United States officially departed in January. The minister proposed that the WHO reprioritize its spending rather than seek replacement funding.
Why it matters
The WHO budget was cut following the United States withdrawal, and voluntary contributions from governments and donors make up the bulk of its funding. Budi Gunadi Sadikin also proposed raising regular membership funding to more than 50 percent of the budget, which would reduce reliance on donor priorities.
Membership contributions assessed every two years by income and population make up roughly 20 to 30 percent of the WHO budget, with the rest coming from voluntary government and donor payments. The report does not specify the dollar size of the cut following the United States exit.
The players
Budi Gunadi Sadikin
Indonesia's health minister and one of seven candidates for WHO director general, who has proposed raising mandatory member contributions.
World Health Organization
The United Nations agency responsible for international public health, whose budget was reduced after the United States withdrew.
The details
Budi Gunadi Sadikin, one of seven candidates for WHO director general, said the agency should rely less on voluntary donations and instead raise mandatory membership payments. He said that if elected he would start talks with Washington right away to address the funding gap.
Timeline
January 2026: The United States officially departed the World Health Organization.
January 2027: The 34-member WHO Executive Board is expected to nominate up to three candidates for director general.
May 2027: The World Health Assembly will choose the next WHO head.
Big Picture
The move follows the United States' January 2026 withdrawal from the WHO, which cut the agency's budget back to roughly its pre-Covid-19 pandemic level. Proposals like Indonesia's test whether member states will shift the WHO toward assessed funding after the U.S. exit.
Countries outside the WHO may face a disadvantage in responding to a global health emergency, which could affect how quickly vaccines and treatments reach their populations. Changes to how the agency is funded could also shape the availability of international health guidance that national systems rely on.
The takeaway
Stable WHO funding depends on whether member countries accept higher mandatory payments, a question that will shape the agency's ability to respond to future pandemics. Readers should watch the 2027 director general selection for signals on that direction.
What happens next
The WHO Executive Board is expected to nominate up to three director general candidates in January 2027, and the World Health Assembly will select the next WHO head in May 2027.
Further reading
Readers can explore the broader pandemic response context in our COVID-19 coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Star.
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