World Health Organization Confronts Major Staff Cuts After United States Funding Withdrawal
The global public health agency has announced plans to cut its staff by nearly a fourth – totaling more than 2,000 jobs – by the middle of 2026.
Funding Crisis Prompts Major Restructuring
The decision comes following the United States, formerly the organization's largest donor, pulled out financial support previously this period.
Washington was contributing about 18% of the organization's overall funding, causing a substantial budgetary gap.
Expected Staff Cuts
Based on internal projections, the staff is expected to drop from nine thousand four hundred and one positions in early 2025 to around 7,030 by mid-2026.
The reduction of 2,371 posts includes staff reductions, employees retiring, and natural departures.
"The past year has been one of the most difficult in WHO's history, while we have navigated a challenging but essential process of prioritization and realignment," commented the agency's director-general.
Budget Gap Persists
The Geneva-based organization currently confronts a funding shortfall of $1.06bn for the upcoming biennium, amounting to nearly a quarter of its total funding.
This figure represents an improvement from a previous estimated shortfall of $1.7bn noted in spring.
Excluded Funding
These financial projections do not include an additional $1.1bn in potential funding from ongoing negotiations with multiple contributors.
The representative for the agency noted that the present unfunded portion of the budget is actually smaller than in previous periods, crediting this to several factors:
- Reduced total budget
- Initiation of a fresh donor outreach effort
- Higher in member states' required contributions
The realignment initiative is currently nearing its completion, allowing the organization to move forward with a renewed operational model.