WHO chief Tedros says dramatic 2025 funding cuts forced staff reductions but created an opportunity to build a more focused and independent agency.
GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization said dramatic funding cuts in 2025 have created a chance to build a leaner, re-focused agency.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pic) told the agency’s annual executive board that last year was “undeniably one of the most difficult years in our organisation’s history”. He said significant cuts forced the WHO to reduce its workforce by more than a thousand staff.
Tedros insisted the shock had been anticipated, with the agency trying to pivot away from over-reliance on major donors. He said its reorientation is now largely complete.
“We have now largely completed the prioritisation and realignment. We have reached a position of stability and we are moving forward,” Tedros stated. He framed the crisis as an opportunity for a “leaner WHO to become more focused on its core mission”.
The WHO chief urged member states to keep increasing their membership fees to reduce reliance on voluntary contributions. The goal is for fees to eventually cover 50% of the budget to ensure long-term stability and independence.
“I mean non-dependence on a handful of donors; I mean non-dependence on inflexible, unpredictable funding,” Tedros explained. He stressed this meant an impartial organisation “free to say what the evidence says, without fear or favour”.
The funding crisis was triggered after the United States, traditionally the WHO’s biggest donor, slashed foreign aid. Former President Donald Trump handed the WHO a one-year notice of withdrawal on his first day back in office in January 2025.
Washington has not paid its 2024 or 2025 dues, owing around $260 million. The executive board meeting, which runs until Saturday, will discuss the withdrawal notifications of the United States and Argentina.
