World Health Organization Faces Major Workforce Cuts Following United States Funding Withdrawal
The global health agency revealed plans to cut its workforce by nearly a quarter – amounting to more than 2,000 jobs – by mid-2026.
Financial Shortfall Triggers Major Reorganization
The decision follows following the United States, formerly the agency's biggest donor, pulled out financial support previously this period.
The US government was responsible for approximately eighteen percent of the organization's overall funding, creating a significant budgetary gap.
Projected Staff Cuts
Based on organizational estimates, the staff is expected to drop from nine thousand four hundred and one posts in January 2025 to approximately 7,030 by June 2026.
This decrease of 2,371 posts includes job cuts, employees retiring, and natural attrition.
"This year has been among the toughest in WHO's history, as we undertook a painful but essential journey of prioritization and realignment," commented the agency's director-general.
Financial Shortfall Remains
The Geneva-based body now faces a funding gap of 1.06 billion dollars for the upcoming period, amounting to almost a quarter of its total funding.
The amount represents an reduction from a previous estimated gap of 1.7 billion dollars reported in spring.
Excluded Funding
These financial projections do not include a further $1.1bn in expected contributions from ongoing discussions with various donors.
The spokesperson for the agency stated that the present unfunded part of the biennial budget is in fact smaller than in earlier periods, crediting this to several factors:
- A smaller total budget
- Initiation of a new donor outreach campaign
- An increase in member states' required fees
The realignment process is currently nearing its completion, paving the way for the agency to move forward with a reshaped structure.
