WHO Faces Major Workforce Cuts After US Funding Pullout

The global health organization disclosed plans to reduce its staff by nearly a fourth – totaling more than two thousand jobs – before the middle of 2026.

Financial Shortfall Prompts Substantial Restructuring

The decision follows following the US, formerly the organization's biggest donor, pulled out funding previously this year.

The US government was responsible for approximately 18% of the organization's total funding, causing a significant budgetary shortfall.

Projected Workforce Reductions

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

The decrease of 2,371 posts comprises job cuts, employees retiring, and regular departures.

"The past year was among the most difficult in WHO's existence, as we have navigated a challenging but essential process of prioritisation and restructuring," commented the organization's leader.

Budget Gap Remains

The Switzerland-headquartered organization currently confronts a funding shortfall of 1.06 billion dollars for the upcoming period, amounting to almost a quarter of its total funding.

The figure marks an reduction from a prior estimated gap of $1.7bn noted in spring.

Not Included Finances

These financial projections do not include a further 1.1 billion dollars in expected contributions from current discussions with various donors.

The representative for the organization stated that the present unfunded portion of the budget is actually smaller than in earlier periods, crediting this to several factors: