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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a major reduction in its executive management team as a result of significant funding cuts, particularly from the United States.
In an internal email to staff, seen by AFP, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the restructuring, which will see the number of senior managers at the agency’s Geneva headquarters reduced from 11 to six. The new, slimmer team will take office from 16 June.
The shake-up follows a dramatic budget squeeze, after the US withheld both its 2024 and anticipated 2025 contributions. The United States had been WHO’s largest donor, contributing $1.3 billion to its 2022–2023 budget, mostly in voluntary funds earmarked for specific programmes.
Among the high-profile departures are Dr Mike Ryan, the Irish emergencies director who became a prominent figure during the global COVID-19 response, and Canadian official Dr Bruce Aylward, who has led efforts toward achieving universal health coverage.
Five current members of the executive team will remain, including renowned British medical researcher Sir Jeremy Farrar. He will shift roles to become assistant director-general for health promotion, disease prevention, and control. His position as chief scientist will be taken up by French physician Dr Sylvie Briand, currently head of WHO’s Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases Department.
Tedros had previously warned member states that the organisation faced a serious financial shortfall due to Washington’s decision to end funding. He cited a “salary gap” of $560 million to $650 million projected for the 2026–2027 period. The most immediate effects of the cuts, he said, would be felt at the organisation’s Geneva headquarters, starting with top-level leadership roles.
While the current round of downsizing is focused on management, the prospect of wider operational cuts looms as WHO prepares for its annual decision-making assembly next week.
