JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) reduced management teams by half and had to reduce operations, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday, four months after the United States announced it would leave the agency and cut funding.
"Frankly, we can't do everything," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a budget committee meeting ahead of the agency's annual meeting next week.
It is known, President Donald Trump said the United States would leave the agency on the first day he returned to office in January.
Under US law, a notification is required one year before the country, WHO's biggest financial supporter, can leave the agency, in addition to paying all costs. The money is still unpaid.
Tedros said the agency and its member states should make difficult choices about what to prioritize, given the proposed 21 percent cut in budget for 2026-2027 to 4.2 billion US dollars.
"Even the reduced budget will only be funded by around 60 percent, provided member states agree to increase their mandatory dues at next week's meeting," he said.
Previously, WHO had announced efficiency measures and hopes to save around $165 million this year.
The WHO will also reduce the number of its departments to 34 out of 76 and plans to cut staff costs by 25 percent, Tedros said, although that doesn't mean 25 percent of the work will be cut.
"But let's be clear: reducing our workforce scale means reducing the scale and scope of our work," he explained, adding the organization would close several offices in high-income countries.
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Tedros said WHO had discussed with other global health groups to discuss better collaboration given the cut.
The agency's new seven-member leadership team, including Tedros, has decreased from 14 people. The changes include moving the chief scientist Dr. Jeremy Farrar to the role of assistant director general for health promotion and disease prevention and control.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu will be executive director of the health emergency program, and Dr. Sylvie Briand will be chief scientist.
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