By Ayomide Otitoju
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a major restructuring of its leadership, cutting its executive management team nearly in half due to significant funding reductions, particularly from the United States.
In an internal email to staff seen by AFP on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the executive team at the agency’s Geneva headquarters would be reduced from 11 members to six.
Among the high-profile departures are Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, and Dr. Bruce Aylward, who led global efforts towards universal health coverage. Both played pivotal roles during the organization’s COVID-19 response.
“Mike planned to leave over two years ago but stayed on at my request, and I am very thankful for that,” Tedros wrote in a follow-up message. “His steady presence has been instrumental during our toughest times, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The restructuring will retain five existing executives, including Sir Jeremy Farrar, a renowned British medical researcher and former director of the Wellcome Trust. Farrar will now serve as Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. His current role as Chief Scientist will be taken over by Dr. Sylvie Briand of France, who heads the WHO’s Department of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases.
The leadership overhaul comes as the WHO grapples with a deepening financial crisis. Tedros told member states last month that the agency would need to cut operations and reduce staffing due to a shortfall of several hundred million dollars triggered by U.S. funding cuts.
The United States — the WHO’s largest donor — contributed $1.3 billion to the organization’s 2022–2023 budget, largely through voluntary earmarked funding. However, with plans for a full withdrawal by the previous Trump administration and subsequent funding uncertainty, the WHO now faces a projected “salary gap” of between $560 million and $650 million for the 2026–2027 period.
While Tedros did not specify how many jobs would be lost overall, he emphasized that the immediate impact would be most felt at the WHO’s headquarters, starting with senior management roles.
Although no further cuts are currently anticipated, the issue is expected to dominate discussions at the World Health Assembly — the WHO’s top decision-making body — when it convenes next week.
“We are facing very difficult decisions,” Tedros acknowledged, as the agency seeks to maintain its global health mandate amid shrinking resources.
