WHO Faces Massive Job Cuts, Global Health At Risk

The World Health Organization (WHO) is facing a significant reduction in its workforce, with plans to eliminate 2,371 posts by June 2026. This amounts to nearly a quarter of its staff and is primarily attributed to budget cuts resulting from the United States' withdrawal and reduced contributions from other nations. Experts express grave concern that these cuts will diminish the WHO's capacity to assist countries grappling with disease outbreaks, thereby increasing global health risks.

The repercussions of these staff reductions are expected to be far-reaching. The WHO's Geneva headquarters will see the highest number of cuts, followed by its African regional office, which is crucial for coordinating responses in vulnerable regions. This will strain essential functions like disease surveillance, supply chain management, and emergency response, placing a greater burden on African governments to manage health crises independently.

Senior WHO leadership acknowledged the difficulty of these measures, describing them as painful conversations with affected staff. The cuts target various levels, including senior directors and entry-level professionals, with documents indicating a return to 2017 staffing levels for some roles. While some reductions will occur through natural attrition, others involve position abolition, sparking internal debate about the criteria for these decisions.