World Health Organization Faces Significant Workforce Cuts Following US Funding Withdrawal
This international public health organization has announced plans to cut its workforce by almost a fourth – amounting to over two thousand positions – before mid-2026.
Funding Crisis Prompts Major Reorganization
This decision follows after the US, formerly the organization's biggest contributor, withdrew financial support previously this period.
Washington was contributing approximately 18% of the organization's total funding, creating a substantial financial gap.
Expected Staff Reductions
According to organizational projections, the workforce will decrease from 9,401 positions in early 2025 to approximately seven thousand and thirty by June 2026.
This decrease of 2,371 positions includes staff reductions, employees retiring, and regular attrition.
"This year has been among the toughest in WHO's existence, as we undertook a painful but essential process of prioritization and realignment," commented the organization's leader.
Budget Gap Remains
The Switzerland-headquartered organization currently confronts a funding gap of 1.06 billion dollars for the upcoming period, amounting to nearly a fourth of its total budget.
This figure represents an improvement from a previous estimated gap of $1.7bn reported in May.
Excluded Finances
These financial projections exclude an additional 1.1 billion dollars in potential funding from current negotiations with various contributors.
A spokesperson for the agency noted that the present unsecured part of the biennial budget is in fact lower than in previous periods, attributing this to several reasons:
- A smaller overall budget
- The launch of a fresh donor outreach campaign
- Higher in participating countries' mandatory fees
The restructuring process is now approaching its completion, allowing the agency to move forward with a reshaped operational model.