Exit Threat: WHO Urges US to Reconsider Decision to Quit Global Health Body

•As CMDs warn hospitals emptying over health workers’ mass exodus

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

World Health Organisation (WHO) urged the United States of America to rescind its plan to quit membership of the organisation.

WHO said over seven decades, the organisation and the USA had saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats.

A statement by WHO said the announcement by the United States that it intended to withdraw from the organisation was regrettable.

In another crucial health sector development, Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of Teaching Hospitals warned that mass exodus of health workers would continue due to poor remuneration.

CMD of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Professor Wasiu Adeyemo, his University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, counterpart, Professor Jesse Abiodun, among others, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja when they appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions for 2025 budget defence.

Seeking reversal of the US plan to exit the global body, WHO stated, “WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go.”

The organisation said the United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and had participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other member states, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board.

WHO further stated, “For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats. Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership of WHO.

“With the participation of the United States and other member states, WHO has over the past seven years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues.

“We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.”

On the exodus of health workers, Adeyemo stated that the rate at which medical workers were leaving the country was alarming, saying there is a need to act fast to address the situation.

He stressed that despite the federal government’s investment in health infrastructure, tertiary health hospitals were facing threats of becoming empty, as doctors, nurses and other skilled health workers left in droves.

Adeyemo stated, “People resign, not even retirement, resignation almost every day. Yes. In the next one or two years, we are going to have all our hospitals empty. We need to do something about the remuneration of all the health care workers.

“Otherwise, government is putting a lot of money into infrastructure, and we are going to have empty hospitals. The major reason why people leave is for economic reasons. Consultants are earning less than $1,000.”

On 2024 budget performance, Adeyemo informed the committee that they had a total budget of N19.2 billion out of which personnel had N13.57 billion and a total overhead of N33.2 million.

He explained that budget performance and overhead were 100 per cent as of December.

“For the total personnel, 91 per cent performance, but for the capital project 45 per cent. So outstanding is 55 per cent. If November and December are released today, we would cover maybe about 85 per cent,” Adeyemo explained.

On his part, Abidogun said out of N5,593,110,394 capital appropriation in 2024 budget, only 38 per cent of the funds was released, leaving a balance of 72 per cent.

He said, “We have the 72 per cent left. Yes, we are actually among the last people to be batched for payment, and the payment started coming in actually in December. We were able to even utilise this 38 per cent because we had already done the cash plan before the release.

“For 2025, for the capital, we are proposing N4, 387, 763,661 for capital. This is a bit less than what we had in 2024. And that’s because of this envelope system, what we’re given, we have to work with it.

“The overhead, we have N690,006,464 only. There’s a bit of increase over that of 2024 because of the outrageous bills we are getting from Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.”

Earlier, Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Patrick Umoh, charged the CMDs of teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) to be thorough in their presentations in order to provide a clear picture of their situations.

Umoh said, “The reality is that you must extract the proposal made by Mr. President as it affects your medical centre. It should be part of your budget, your presentation.

“The report of the 2024 budget performance and 2025 budget proposal is given provisional approval for now.”