World Health Organization Faces Major Workforce Reduction After US Financial Withdrawal

The global public health agency disclosed plans to cut its staff by almost a fourth – totaling more than 2,000 jobs – before mid-2026.

Financial Shortfall Triggers Major Reorganization

This decision comes after the United States, formerly the agency's biggest donor, withdrew financial support earlier this period.

The US government was contributing about 18% of the organization's overall funding, causing a substantial budgetary gap.

Expected Workforce Reductions

Based on organizational projections, the workforce will decrease from 9,401 positions in early 2025 to around 7,030 by June 2026.

The reduction of 2,371 positions includes staff reductions, retirements, and natural attrition.

"The past year was among the toughest in WHO's history, while we undertook a painful but essential process of prioritization and restructuring," commented the organization's director-general.

Budget Shortfall Persists

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

This amount marks an improvement from a prior estimated gap of $1.7bn noted in spring.

Excluded Funding

These budget projections exclude a further 1.1 billion dollars in potential funding from current discussions with various donors.

A spokesperson for the organization noted that the current unfunded portion of the budget is actually smaller than in earlier years, attributing this to several reasons:

• Reduced total budget size
• The launch of a fresh fundraising effort
• An increase in participating countries' mandatory contributions

This restructuring process is now nearing its completion, paving the way for the organization to progress with a renewed structure.