The World Health Organization WHO has announced a road map for cuts and tightening as it navigates a different reality in the absence of US funding.
A new internal memo signed by WHO assistant director-general Raul Thomas detailed plans by the UN agency to limit staff contracts to one year as it makes efforts to fix priorities.
The document along with detailing further cuts stated that senior officials within the agency have already begun prioritizing work that would make the global agency’s work sustainable.
"While operating in an extremely fluid environment, WHO’s senior management are working to navigate these shifting tides by undertaking a prioritization 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," it said.
Washington, which was instrumental in helping set up the agency after World War Two and has been one of its most active members, is by far the U.N. health agency's biggest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding.
The document also mentioned that staff were already seeking funding from alternative sources like philanthropists, private donors and other countries.
It is unclear however if these attempts at seeking funding have been successful.
The internal memo, while not outrightly announcing immediate staff cuts, said "given the magnitude of the challenges we face, some difficult decisions are unavoidable."
In the period from 2022 to 2023, the US gave up to $1.284 billion to WHO as experts continue to decry the move by the Trump administration saying that it would spell disaster for public health around the world.
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Azerbaijan and Kuwait have formalized plans to cooperate in the field of agriculture through a newly approved memorandum.
Iran has fired a new round of missiles at Israel, with reports of strikes in several locations, as tensions between the two countries continue.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned that global refugee protection is facing unprecedented threats, with more than 122 million people forcibly displaced amid ongoing conflicts and shrinking humanitarian aid.
A new freight route connecting eastern China to Azerbaijan via Turkmenistan has officially been launched, marking a significant expansion of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor.
Tesla has secured a major agreement to build its first grid-scale battery storage station in China, local media outlet Yicai reported Friday.
In what experts are calling the most extensive data breach in digital history, nearly 16 billion user records have been compromised globally, according to a new investigative report by Cybernews.
Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will visit Kazakhstan on 23–24 June 2025 for meetings with senior government officials and business leaders.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
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Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
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China has successfully mastered the technology to produce Yttrium-90, a critical medical isotope used in radiation therapy for liver cancer, within a commercial nuclear reactor.
German biotech firm BioNTech (22UAy.DE), has agreed to acquire domestic peer CureVac, for about $1.25 billion worth of BioNTech shares, it said on Thursday, to boost its work on new mRNA-based cancer treatments.
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Researchers at the University of Miami have discovered 230 new giant viruses in global ocean waters, shedding light on their hidden role in marine ecosystems and their potential impact on public health.
Mayo Clinic researchers have validated a blood test's high precision for diagnosing patients with cognitive impairment.This non-invasive, cost-effective breakthrough, detailed in Alzheimer's & Dementia, offers much-needed hope for earlier intervention and better management.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned that global refugee protection is facing unprecedented threats, with more than 122 million people forcibly displaced amid ongoing conflicts and shrinking humanitarian aid.
A new freight route connecting eastern China to Azerbaijan via Turkmenistan has officially been launched, marking a significant expansion of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor.
Tesla has secured a major agreement to build its first grid-scale battery storage station in China, local media outlet Yicai reported Friday.
In what experts are calling the most extensive data breach in digital history, nearly 16 billion user records have been compromised globally, according to a new investigative report by Cybernews.
Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will visit Kazakhstan on 23–24 June 2025 for meetings with senior government officials and business leaders.
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