WHO Faces Major Workforce Reduction After US Financial Withdrawal
This international public health agency has announced plans to reduce its staff by almost a fourth – totaling over two thousand jobs – by the middle of 2026.
Funding Crisis Triggers Substantial Restructuring
This decision follows following the United States, formerly the organization's largest contributor, withdrew funding earlier this year.
Washington was contributing about 18% of the organization's total budget, creating a substantial financial shortfall.
Projected Workforce Reductions
Based on internal estimates, the staff is expected to drop from 9,401 posts in early 2025 to approximately 7,030 by mid-2026.
This reduction of 2,371 posts includes job cuts, employees retiring, and regular attrition.
"This year has been one of the most difficult in WHO's history, while we undertook a challenging but essential journey of prioritization and realignment," stated the agency's leader.
Financial Gap Persists
The Switzerland-headquartered organization currently confronts a budget gap of 1.06 billion dollars for the upcoming biennium, amounting to almost a quarter of its required funding.
The figure represents an improvement from a previous projected gap of 1.7 billion dollars reported in May.
Excluded Finances
These budget projections do not include an additional $1.1bn in expected funding from ongoing negotiations with multiple contributors.
The spokesperson for the agency noted that the present unfunded part of the budget is actually smaller than in previous years, crediting this to several reasons:
- Reduced overall budget size
- Initiation of a new donor outreach campaign
- Higher in member states' mandatory contributions
The realignment initiative is currently approaching its completion, allowing the organization to move forward with a renewed structure.
