Countries must pay more towards WHO: Indonesian candidate

Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, a candidate for the post of World Health Organization director-general, stated on Monday that countries should pay higher mandatory contributions to the agency. According to Channel News Asia, Budi argued that increased regular funding is necessary for sustainability, noting that membership contributions currently account for only 20 or 30 percent of the total budget. This increase would serve to offset budget reductions resulting from the US withdrawal.

Budi told AFP that the agency should focus on reprioritizing its spending by allocating larger amounts to fewer projects rather than chasing replacement funding. Channel News Asia reports that the minister's priority is to review the functions of the WHO and obtain agreement from member countries before seeking new money, suggesting the first place to look for funding is from within.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post, Channel News Asia — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.