WHO Confronts Major Workforce Cuts After US Funding Withdrawal

This international health agency disclosed intentions to cut its workforce by nearly a quarter – amounting to over two thousand jobs – by the middle of 2026.

Financial Crisis Triggers Substantial Reorganization

The move comes following the US, formerly the agency's biggest donor, pulled out funding previously this year.

Washington had been responsible for about eighteen percent of the agency's total funding, creating a substantial financial gap.

Projected Staff Cuts

Based on organizational estimates, the workforce is expected to drop from nine thousand four hundred and one posts in January 2025 to approximately seven thousand and thirty by mid-2026.

The decrease of two thousand three hundred and seventy-one posts includes staff reductions, employees retiring, and natural departures.

"The past year has been among the toughest in our history, while we undertook a painful but essential process of prioritisation and realignment," commented the agency's director-general.

Financial Shortfall Remains

The Geneva-based organization now confronts a budget shortfall of 1.06 billion dollars for the 2026-2027 period, amounting to almost a fourth of its required budget.

The figure represents an improvement from a prior projected gap of $1.7bn reported in May.

Excluded Funding

The financial calculations do not include an additional $1.1bn in expected funding from ongoing negotiations with various donors.

The representative for the organization noted that the current unfunded portion of the biennial budget is actually lower than in previous years, attributing this to several factors:

• A smaller total budget size
• The launch of a new donor outreach effort
• Higher in participating countries' mandatory contributions

The realignment process is currently nearing its end, paving the way for the agency to progress with a renewed structure.