The World Health Organization (WHO) is undergoing a major restructuring, triggered by the US withdrawal and a deep budget crisis, which has led to significant staff cuts and shifts in workforce composition. While WHO claims to have achieved gender parity among its 8,569 staff members, recent data shows women’s representation declined slightly from 50.1% in 2024 to 49.7% in 2025. However, female representation in professional and higher categories rose modestly, supported by strict recruitment policies introduced in 2023 to boost parity.
Regional disparities remain stark. Female-majority regions such as the Western Pacific, headquarters, and Europe contrast sharply with male-dominated regions like Africa, South-East Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Much of the female majority in certain regions is concentrated in administrative roles, while men dominate professional ranks in others. Leadership positions also reveal uneven progress: South-East Asia achieved parity in country office leadership, but Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean lag far behind, with only about a quarter of offices headed by women. At the highest director levels, women remain underrepresented, with just 24.5% at the D2 grade.
WHO’s workforce is shrinking rapidly. By December 2025, staff numbers had fallen by 9.4%, and projections indicate a 23% reduction by June 2026, leaving only 7,283 staff. Non-staff affiliates also decreased by 23% in 2025. Headquarters in Geneva is bearing the brunt of the cuts, while country offices now account for nearly half of the workforce, reflecting a deliberate shift toward field operations.
The financial crisis is severe, with WHO facing a $630 million funding gap for the 2026–2027 biennium. This deficit, reduced from an initial $1.7 billion, has been managed through reprioritisation, staff downsizing, and cost-cutting measures such as halving travel expenses. The World Health Assembly authorised temporary use of reserve funds, though WHO has relied less heavily on them than expected, managing downsizing largely through natural attrition and voluntary retirements.
