World Health Organization Confronts Significant Staff Cuts After US Funding Withdrawal
This global public health agency revealed plans to reduce its workforce by almost a quarter – amounting to more than 2,000 positions – by mid-2026.
Funding Crisis Triggers Major Reorganization
The decision follows following the United States, formerly the organization's biggest donor, pulled out financial support previously this year.
The US government was contributing about 18% of the agency's overall funding, causing a substantial budgetary shortfall.
Expected Workforce Reductions
Based on organizational projections, the workforce is expected to drop from nine thousand four hundred and one posts in early 2025 to approximately 7,030 by mid-2026.
The decrease of 2,371 positions includes job cuts, retirements, and regular attrition.
"This year was among the most difficult in WHO's history, while we undertook a challenging but necessary process of prioritisation and restructuring," stated the agency's leader.
Financial Shortfall Persists
This Switzerland-headquartered organization now faces a budget gap of $1.06bn for the upcoming biennium, representing almost a fourth of its total budget.
The amount marks an improvement from a previous projected shortfall of 1.7 billion dollars reported in May.
Not Included Finances
These budget projections exclude an additional $1.1bn in expected contributions from ongoing negotiations with multiple contributors.
A spokesperson for the organization stated that the current unfunded part of the biennial budget is in fact lower than in earlier periods, crediting this to several reasons:
- A smaller total budget size
- Initiation of a fresh donor outreach campaign
- Higher in participating countries' required fees
This restructuring process is now approaching its completion, paving the way for the organization to move forward with a renewed structure.
