The World Health Organization has been forced to make workforce reductions as it faces a massive funding gap threatening its operations.
In a Devex Pro briefing, Elaine Fletcher, editor-in-chief of Health Policy Watch and former WHO staffer, said there’s a need for WHO to ensure these cuts are strategic and merit-based. To do that, she said transparency is crucial.
Between 2017 and 2024, WHO's staff ballooned significantly, with the number of senior directors at D2 level nearly doubling, as Fletcher revealed in an analysis of WHO human resources during this period. Her estimates found that those positions, including assistant directors-general, are costing the organization some $92 million a year in compensation and benefits such as relocation and education allowances.