WHO Confronts Major Staff Reduction After United States Financial Withdrawal
The international health organization revealed plans to cut its staff by nearly a quarter – totaling more than 2,000 positions – by the middle of 2026.
Financial Crisis Prompts Substantial Restructuring
This move comes following the United States, formerly the agency's largest donor, pulled out funding previously this year.
Washington was responsible for about 18% of the agency's total budget, causing a substantial financial shortfall.
Expected Staff Reductions
Based on internal projections, the workforce will decrease from nine thousand four hundred and one posts in early 2025 to approximately seven thousand and thirty by mid-2026.
This decrease of 2,371 positions includes job cuts, employees retiring, and natural departures.
"The past year has been among the most difficult in WHO's history, while we undertook a painful but necessary journey of prioritization and realignment," commented the organization's director-general.
Financial Gap Remains
The Switzerland-headquartered organization currently faces a budget gap of $1.06bn for the 2026-2027 biennium, representing nearly a fourth of its total funding.
The figure marks an reduction from a previous projected gap of $1.7bn noted in spring.
Not Included Funding
The budget calculations exclude an additional $1.1bn in expected funding from ongoing negotiations with various donors.
The representative for the organization noted that the current unsecured part of the biennial budget is actually smaller than in previous years, crediting this to multiple reasons:
- Reduced total budget size
- The launch of a fresh donor outreach effort
- An increase in member states' required fees
This realignment initiative is now nearing its completion, paving the way for the organization to progress with a renewed structure.
