WHO Confronts Major Staff Reduction Following US Financial Withdrawal
The global public health agency revealed intentions to reduce its workforce by almost a quarter – totaling over two thousand positions – before mid-2026.
Funding Crisis Triggers Substantial Restructuring
This move comes following the US, previously the organization's biggest contributor, withdrew funding previously this year.
Washington was responsible for about 18% of the agency's total budget, creating a significant financial gap.
Expected Staff Cuts
According to organizational projections, the staff is expected to drop from 9,401 posts in early 2025 to approximately seven thousand and thirty by June 2026.
This reduction of two thousand three hundred and seventy-one posts includes job cuts, retirements, and regular departures.
"The past year has been among the toughest in our history, while we undertook a painful but necessary process of prioritization and restructuring," commented the organization's director-general.
Budget Gap Remains
This Switzerland-headquartered organization currently confronts a funding shortfall of 1.06 billion dollars for the 2026-2027 period, amounting to nearly a fourth of its total funding.
This figure represents an improvement from a previous estimated gap of $1.7bn reported in spring.
Excluded Funding
The budget calculations do not include an additional $1.1bn in expected contributions from ongoing negotiations with multiple donors.
A representative for the organization noted that the current unfunded part of the biennial budget is actually smaller than in earlier periods, attributing this to several factors:
- A smaller total budget
- The launch of a fresh donor outreach effort
- Higher in participating countries' mandatory contributions
This realignment initiative is now approaching its completion, paving the way for the organization to move forward with a renewed operational model.
