Experts are cautioning that the World Health Organization (WHO) will be significantly less effective at tackling disease outbreaks due to massive staff reductions. The WHO is planning to lose nearly a quarter of its workforce, totaling over 2,000 jobs, by mid-2026. These cuts are largely aimed at global and Africa-based staff, directly reducing the agency’s ability to coordinate responses to future pandemics. Critics argue that this diminished capacity severely impacts global health security at a time of increasing health threats worldwide.
Nov 19, 2025 theguardian.com