WHO Faces Major Staff Cuts Following United States Financial Pullout
The international health organization has announced intentions to cut its staff by almost a fourth – totaling over two thousand positions – before mid-2026.
Funding Crisis Triggers Substantial Restructuring
The decision comes following the US, formerly the organization's biggest donor, withdrew funding earlier this period.
The US government had been contributing about eighteen percent of the agency's total funding, causing a substantial financial gap.
Expected Workforce Reductions
Based on internal estimates, the workforce will decrease from nine thousand four hundred and one positions in January 2025 to approximately 7,030 by mid-2026.
This reduction of 2,371 positions includes job cuts, retirements, and regular attrition.
"The past year was one of the toughest in WHO's history, as we undertook a painful but necessary process of prioritization and restructuring," commented the agency's director-general.
Financial Gap Persists
The Switzerland-headquartered organization currently confronts a funding shortfall of 1.06 billion dollars for the 2026-2027 biennium, amounting to nearly a quarter of its total budget.
The amount marks an improvement from a previous estimated gap of 1.7 billion dollars noted in May.
Excluded Funding
These budget projections do not include an additional 1.1 billion dollars in potential funding from ongoing negotiations with various donors.
The spokesperson for the organization noted that the present unfunded portion of the budget is actually lower than in previous periods, crediting this to multiple factors:
- A smaller overall budget size
- Initiation of a new fundraising campaign
- An increase in member states' required fees
The realignment initiative is now nearing its completion, allowing the agency to progress with a renewed structure.
