WHO to shed over 2,000 jobs by mid-2026

19/11/2025 6:26

The World Health Organization said its workforce would shrink by about a quarter - or over 2,000 jobs - by the middle of next year as it seeks to implement reforms after its top donor, the United States, announced its departure.



U.S. President Donald Trump's administration withdrew from the body upon taking office in January, prompting the agency to scale back its work and cut its management team by half.



Washington is by far the U.N. health agency's biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding.



The Geneva-based WHO projects that its workforce will shrink by 2,371 posts by June 2026 due to job cuts as well as retirements and departures, according to a presentation set to be shown to its member states on Wednesday.