The World Health Organization (WHO) has begun significant staffing cuts and financial restructuring after the United States’ withdrawal from the U.N. subsidiary earlier this year, a move initiated by President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration had criticized the WHO for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises, which led to Trump signing an executive order to end U.S. funding to the organization.
President Trump had pointed out that the United States was paying $500 million to the WHO, while China, with a population of 1.4 billion people, was contributing significantly less.
He argued that this discrepancy was unfair. “That’s a big one,” Trump said during his comments.
He continued, “So, we paid $500 million to [the] World Health Organization when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, we have 350 … nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But, let’s say we have 325, they have 1.4 billion, they were paying $39 million, we were paying $500 million. Seemed a little unfair to me, so that wasn’t the reason, but I dropped out.”
The United States has traditionally been the WHO’s largest financial contributor, providing about 18 percent of its overall funding.
In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal, the WHO has faced significant financial strain.
A memo from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged that the loss of U.S. funding, combined with reductions in official development assistance from other countries, has worsened the organization’s financial situation.
According to a report from Reuters, the WHO memo stated, “The United States’ announcement, combined with recent reductions in official development assistance by some countries to fund increased defense spending, has made our situation much more acute.”
The memo also pointed to the loss of U.S. contributions as a key factor in creating a funding gap of nearly $600 million this year.
To address this shortfall, the WHO proposed slashing its budget for the 2026-2027 period by 21%, reducing it from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion.
In light of these financial challenges, the WHO has also been forced to reduce its workforce, with job cuts being implemented at the senior leadership level at its headquarters in Switzerland.
The restructuring will affect all levels and regions within the organization, according to the memo.
“Despite our best efforts, we are now at the point where we have no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce,” the WHO memo said.
Following Trump’s executive order, the WHO expressed regret over the U.S. withdrawal but defended its work.
“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go,” the organization stated at the time.
The ongoing financial and staffing cuts at the WHO highlight the far-reaching effects of the U.S. decision to withdraw its support.
The global health agency now faces an uncertain future, as it grapples with its diminished resources and the loss of one of its most significant financial backers.
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