WHO to shed over 2,000 jobs by mid-2026, document shows

The World Health Organization has said its workforce will be cut by about a quarter – or more than 2,000 people – by the middle of next year as it tries to implement reforms after its biggest donor, the United States, announced its departure.

The withdrawal of US President Donald Trump’s administration from the agency after taking office in January caused the agency to scale back its work and reduce its management team by half.

Washington is by far the UN health agency’s largest financial supporter, contributing about 18% of its total funding.
The Geneva-based WHO estimates the workforce will shrink by 2,371 positions by June 2026 from 9,401 positions in January 2025 due to layoffs, retirements and departures, according to a presentation to be shown to member states on Wednesday.

This list does not include many temporary staff or consultants who UN sources say have been laid off. A WHO spokesperson confirmed the total number of staff leaving the organization and said the workforce would be reduced by up to 22%, depending on how many vacant positions are filled.

While the global health agency said in August that hundreds of staff were leaving, it is the first time it has given its global staff the full scale of the expected change: “This year has been one of the most difficult years in WHO’s history, as we have gone through a painful but necessary process of prioritization and realignment that has led to a significant reduction in our global workforce,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a message to staff seen by Reuters on Tuesday, adding that the process was now approaching. We are now moving forward with our reshaped and renewed organization. “We are preparing to do so,” he said.

The slides also showed that the Geneva-based institution has a $1.06 billion shortfall in its 2026-2027 budget, nearly a quarter of the total required.

The slides appear to exclude approximately $1.1 billion in expected funding, which includes deals in various stages of negotiations, without providing detailed information.

The WHO spokesperson said that the currently unfunded portion of the two-year budget is lower than in previous years and this is attributed to a smaller budget; launching a fundraising round; and an increase in member states’ compulsory fees.