Concerns as WHO plans to downsize workforce over US funding cuts

*’The sudden drop in income has left us with a large salary gap, and no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce,’ says Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The World Health Organisation has affirmed the United States’ (US) funding cuts has created a huge budget gap in the United Nations (UN) agency, forcing it to slash operations and lay off staff.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, told member states in his opening remarks on the development Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Tedros said: “The sudden drop in income has left us with a large salary gap and no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce.”

The UN health agency disclosed it has been bracing for the planned full withdrawal of the United States — traditionally, its largest donor by far, January next year.

As indicated in his sweeping changes since he returned to the White House January 20 this year, US President Donald Trump’s administration has also refused to pay agreed membership fees, called assessed contributions, for 2024 and 2025.

Trump has also frozen virtually all US foreign aid, including vast assistance to health projects worldwide.

A number of other countries have also been reducing their foreign aid spending.

Faced with this situation, the WHO has been reflecting on a new organisational structure, which Tedros presented to staff and member states Tuesday.

The Director-General of WHO also noted: “The refusal of the US to pay its assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025, combined with reductions in official development assistance by some other countries, means we are facing a salary gap for the 2026–27 biennium of between $560 and $650 million.”

According to him, the lower end of that spectrum “represents about 25 percent of staff costs” currently.

Dr. Tedros further emphasised though that “that doesn’t necessarily mean a 25-percent cut to the number of positions.”

The WHO Chief, however, did not indicate the likely number of several jobs that would be lost.

He rather said the most significant impact was expected to be felt at the organisation’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We are starting with reductions in senior management.

“We are reducing the senior leadership team at headquarters from 12 to seven, and the number of departments will be reduced by (more than) half, from 76 to 34.”

“These are very painful decisions for all of us,” Dr. Tedros said.