WHO to Cut One-Fifth of Budget, Plans Job Cuts

According to a memo seen by Reuters from the World Health Organization (WHO), the organization has cut its budget by 21% due to the impact of reduced funding from the United States. The memo also proposed a reduction in the number of staff and the scope of work.

Following his inauguration in January, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the WHO, citing improper handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. The United States has been the largest financial supporter of this United Nations health organization, contributing around 18% of its total funding.

The memo, dated March 28th and signed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, noted that “the U.S. statement of withdrawal, coupled with recent cuts in official development aid from some countries to fund increased defense spending, has made our situation even more dire.”

The contents of the memo revealed that in order to address a nearly $600 million income gap for this year, the WHO has proposed a 21% budget cut for the 2026-2027 period, reducing it from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion.

Back in February of this year, the WHO Executive Board had proposed reducing the proposed budget for 2026-2027 from $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion.

“We have no choice but to scale back the scope of work and the number of staff, despite our best efforts,” the memo stated.

The memo further added that while the WHO would reduce senior leadership positions at its Geneva headquarters, all levels and regions would be affected. The WHO is set to decide on how to prioritize its work and resources by the end of April.

WHO documents show that the organization has 9,473 staff members, with over a quarter of them based in Geneva.

Reuters also reviewed an internal memo dated March 10th, which indicated that the WHO had begun to identify priorities and announced that staff contracts would be set for one year.

The memo stated that WHO staff are working hard to secure additional funding from countries, private donors, and philanthropists.

The WHO did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.