Following the United States pulling funding, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun rearranging its priorities and announced a one-year limit on staff contracts.
The new plans, including cost-cutting, were announced in a memo to staff signed by WHO assistant director-general Raul Thomas.
Senior WHO officials have begun prioritising work to make the global health agency sustainable over the past three weeks, according to the document.
"While operating in an extremely fluid environment, WHO's senior management is working to navigate these shifting tides by undertaking a prioritisation process," the memo said.
"Their work will ensure that every resource is directed toward the most pressing priorities while preserving WHO's ability to make a lasting impact."
The document also outlines staff's work to secure additional funding from countries, private donors and philanthropists.
The memo stopped short of announcing staff cuts but said that “given the magnitude of the challenges we face, some difficult decisions are unavoidable".
The cuts are occurring mainly due to the U.S., which contributed around 18% of the WHO’s overall funding. The amount was estimated to be around US$1 billion annually.
According to WHO spokesperson, Margaret Harris cuts were also planned before the U.S.’s withdrawal to to shift resources away from its Geneva headquarters to 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 for sure, the cold winds of economic rationalisation are speeding that up.”
