In efforts to ensure its survival after the withdrawal of the United States, the World Health Organisation has announced a one-year limit on staff contracts, and set out various other measures aimed at slimming down the agency.
The memo, dated 10 March, laid out further cost-cutting plans in its “prioritisation process”, reports Reuters, and hinted that “some difficult decisions” might be on the cards.
Washington has been one of the WHO’s most active members, and by far the the health agency’s biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding.
“While operating in an extremely fluid environment, WHO’s senior management … will ensure every resource is directed toward the most pressing priorities while preserving WHO’s ability to make a lasting impact,” the memo said.
It added that staff are working to secure additional funding from countries, private donors and philanthropists, and without announcing immediate staff cuts, said that “given the magnitude of the challenges … some difficult decisions are unavoidable”.
WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told a press briefing that even before US funding cuts, the agency was undergoing a transformation to shift resources away from its Geneva headquarters and into recipient countries.
“So what’s really been happening is a big transfer of funding and staffing and commitment at country level away from HQ,” she said. “It has been a slow process …and the cold winds of economic rationalisation are speeding that up.”
The agency has more than a quarter of its 9 473 staff based in its headquarters in Geneva, one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Reuters article – WHO starts slimming down in response to US cuts, document shows (Open access)
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