Four months after the Director-General announced that it would leave the agency and cut funding, the World Health Organization cut its management team in half and would have to reduce operations.
“Talk out, we can't do everything,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a budget committee meeting next week.
President Donald Trump said the United States will leave the agency on the first day of his return to office in January.
Under U.S. law, one year’s notice is required to reach the country, and the WHO’s largest financial supporter can leave and pay all fees. That money is outstanding.
Tedros said that given the proposal to cut 21% of the budget in the 2026-27-27-$4.2 billion budget, the body and its member states must make difficult choices about prioritization.
He said even if the budget is reduced, the budget is only 60% funded, as long as member states agree to raise their mandatory fees at next week's meeting.
The WHO has announced efficiency measures and hopes to save about $165 million in the United States this year.
Tedros said that will also reduce the number of its divisions from 76 to 34, and plans to reduce employee costs by 25%, although that doesn't mean a 25% cut.
“But be clear: reducing the size of the workforce means reducing the size and scope of our work,” he said, adding that the organization will close some offices in high-income countries.
Tedros said that given the cuts, who had discussed better collaboration with other global health groups.
The new leadership team of the human body consists of seven people, including Tedros, which is down from 14 people. These changes include the promotion of chief scientist Dr. Jeremy Farrar to assistant director of health promotion and disease prevention and control.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu will become executive director of the Health Emergency Program and Dr. Sylvie Briand will serve as chief scientist.
