The WHO chief states in a speech to member countries that the withdrawn financing from the USA, which has left the UN organization and was the largest contributor, is a hard blow.
The sudden decrease in revenue leaves us with a large deficit and without any other alternatives than to reduce the scale of our work and our staff.
Cutbacks are expected. According to an internal email that the news agency AFP took part of at the end of March, the budget deficit for 2025 will amount to 600 million dollars – approximately 6 billion kronor.
The USA's refusal to pay its contributions for 2024 and 2025, combined with cutbacks in development aid from other countries, means that we are facing a deficit of between 560 and 650 million for the years 2026–2027, says Tedros now.
The lower end of the spectrum corresponds, according to the director-general, to approximately 25 percent of personnel costs. But it does not necessarily mean that so many will be laid off.
The largest cutbacks are expected at the headquarters in Geneva, he says.
We are reducing the management group at the headquarters from twelve to seven positions and the number of departments from 76 to 34.
