Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, has announced that the global agency would downsize operations and workforce due to a significant funding shortfall prompted by United States’ decision to withhold contributions.
According to a transcript of his remarks delivered to WHO member states, Ghebreyesus stated that the abrupt decrease in income has left the organisation with a considerable salary deficit, making it necessary to prune both the scope of its activities and staff.
He attributed the financial strain largely to the American nation’s decision not to pay its 2024 and 2025 dues, following its previously announced plan under President Donald Trump to fully withdraw from the agency.
He observed that the United States, which has been WHO’s largest donor, contributed $1.3 billion to the organisation’s 2022–2023 budget, primarily through voluntary project-specific funding.
However, with Washington halting further payments, WHO now faces a projected salary gap of between $560 and $650 million for the 2026–2027 biennium.
Ghebreyesus explained that even the lower end of this estimate equates to about 25 per cent of current staff costs, though he clarified that this does not necessarily imply a 25 percent cut in staff number.
While the exact number of job losses remains uncertain, the WHO chief acknowledged that a significant number of staff members would be affected and pledged that the process would be handled with compassion.
He indicated that the organisation’s Geneva headquarters would bear the brunt, starting with senior management. The senior leadership team is set to be reduced from 12 to seven members, and the number of departments is to be slashed by more than half, from 76 to 34.
Regional offices are also expected to be impacted by varying degrees, and some WHO country offices in wealthier nations are likely to be shut down.
Describing the measures as “very painful decisions,” Ghebreyesus emphasised that the restructuring was avoidable. Despite the challenges, the DG noted that the situation could have been worse. He recalled that member states had previously agreed in 2022 to increase their assessed contributions, which are more stable than voluntary funding.
Consequently, WHO expects to receive $1.07 billion in membership fees for 2026–2027, even without the U.S. contribution – an improvement from the $746 million that would have been available without the increase.
Nonetheless, the WHO chief said the organisation must reduce its activities and refocus on its core functions. He acknowledged that this comes at a time when many countries still require substantial international health support.
He also criticised the broader impact of the U.S. decision to freeze foreign assistance, describing the consequences for developing nations as “very severe.” Ghebreyesus stressed the need for WHO to help countries move away from aid dependence to self-reliance.
