The World Health Organization anticipates losing 600 staff members at its headquarters in Geneva due to reductions in its budget for 2026-2027, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a letter sent to staff seen by Devex.
“With a 21% reduction in the 2026–2027 budget, we are now realigning our structures with our core mandate,” Tedros wrote, outlining WHO’s ongoing restructuring in response to donor funding cuts. “Some activities are being sunset, others are being scaled down, and those most directly linked to our mission are being maintained. At headquarters, based on the final approved structures, we anticipate approximately 600 separations.”
WHO has long faced funding challenges, but the U.S. withdrawal announcement and other donor funding reductions have placed the organization in a tight spot. Soon after the U.S. announcement, WHO implemented travel and other expenditure reductions to save costs, and offered early retirement to staff reaching 55 years old.