Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed on Monday that the organisation is grappling with a projected salary gap exceeding $500 million for the next biennium.
Speaking at the high-level opening of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, themed “One World for Health,” Dr. Ghebreyesus urged delegates to approve a proposed increase in assessed contributions to support WHO’s financial stability.
“Already, the first increase has made a huge difference,” he said. “If it had not happened, our current financial situation would be much worse – $300 million worse.”
In response to the funding shortfall, Dr. Ghebreyesus stated that the WHO Secretariat has enacted several cost-curbing measures, including limitations on travel, procurement, recruitment, and early retirement.
Despite these efforts, the organisation faces the difficult necessity of workforce reduction. “We are doing this reduction carefully, to protect the quality of our work and ensure that we are positioned to emerge from this crisis stronger, more empowered, and more independent,” he explained.
The WHO chief also announced a major structural realignment aimed at streamlining operations at the organisation’s headquarters.
This includes halving the executive management team from 14 to seven members and reducing the number of departments from 76 to 34. “Some Member States called the new structure ‘lean and mean’. I think it’s more focused and could be more impactful,” Dr. Ghebreyesus noted.
He acknowledged the emotional toll of the restructuring, saying, “This was an extremely difficult decision for me, as it is for every manager in our organisation who is having to decide who stays, and who goes.”
Dr. Ghebreyesus paid tribute to departing executives—Dr. Mike Ryan, Dr. Samira Asma, Dr. Bruce Aylward, Dr. Catharina Boehme, Dr. Li Ailan, and Dr. Jérôme Salomon—for their years of dedication.
He stressed that fewer staff will inevitably mean a narrower scope of activities. “Let’s be clear: a reduced workforce means a reduced scope of work. The Organisation simply cannot do everything Member States have asked it to do with the resources available.”
He concluded by highlighting that WHO’s revised programme budget for 2026-2027 has been cut to $4.2 billion—21% less than originally proposed—and that, although 60% of the required funding has been secured, a $1.7 billion shortfall remains.
