The World Health Organization (WHO) will lay off 1,282 employees globally by June 2026 due to budget cuts, including reduced contributions by the United States.
An additional 1,000 jobs will be eliminated through natural attrition, retirements, and early departures, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in a briefing to Member States on Wednesday.
Essential roles have been identified, and resources have been refocused accordingly, he said, explaining that every department has been assigned a budget requiring adjustments to organisational structures.
This included halving the number of departments and management team members.
Measures such as reduced travel and the non-replacement of materials were implemented to minimise layoffs, the WHO Director-General noted. Without these efforts, around 2,900 staff would have had to leave, he highlighted.
Over 1,080 staff will depart due to retirement or the expiration of temporary contracts, and these positions will not be filled.
Increased obligatory contributions from Member States have allowed WHO to save around 600 jobs.
The organisation still needs to secure an additional $1 billion (approximately €867 million) by 2027, according to its Director-General.
