$8.6 million for 17 employees: the staggering salaries of the WHO’s anti-tobacco secretariat

The cost of anti-vaping expertise

The World Health Organization (WHO) has always opposed electronic cigarettes. Despite mounting scientific evidence showing that vaping is less harmful than smoking, and that e-cigarettes are currently the most effective smoking cessation tool, the WHO turns a deaf ear. Over the years and through its reports, its stance has remained largely unchanged. In its latest statement, for example, it still claimed that “it has not been proven that the marketing of [personal vaporizers] has brought a net benefit for public health.” The organization also once again urged all countries to “protect the public from misleading or deceptive claims, such as false statements about safety or efficacy for smoking cessation.”

But who exactly is behind these positions challenged by science? And above all, how much do the people drafting them cost taxpayers? That is what the proposed work plan and budget for the 2026–2027 financial period of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) reveals.

For the 2026–2027 biennium, the Secretariat is proposing a budget of $20.1 million. About 43% of this sum is allocated to staff. More specifically, $2.3 million (11%) will cover operating costs, $9.2 million (46%) will go toward concrete anti-tobacco actions, and $8.6 million (43%) toward staff. In other words, paying salaries will cost the WHO nearly as much as carrying out its tobacco control mission. And a closer look at the salary grid of this specialized secretariat explains why.

For example, its director (D2) will take home nearly $300,000 per year. Four senior managers (P5) will each receive $244,000 annually. At the mid-management level, there are striking anomalies: P4 staff will earn $293,000 per year [a higher amount than P5], while P2s will receive $194,000 compared to “only” $163,000 for P3s [a reversed hierarchy].

Even administrative staff are lavishly paid, with salaries ranging from $212,000 per year (G6) to $251,000 per year (G5). This explains why this specialized WHO secretariat, with just 17 employees, requires more than $8 million to cover salaries over two years. And while the fact that these staff are based in Geneva, Switzerland—where the cost of living is particularly high—may account for part of it, it certainly does not justify everything.

This raises an important question: nearly half of the WHO tobacco control secretariat’s budget goes to its administrative structure. What about its operational effectiveness? The question remains open.

It is worth noting that the World Health Organization is currently experiencing an unprecedented financial crisis, notably due to the U.S. withdrawal announced by Donald Trump on January 20. Accusing the WHO of being too favorable toward China and of lacking effectiveness during the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. president deprived the organization of nearly 15% of its annual budget.

We could also mention the investigation conducted by Health Policy Watch, a Geneva-based media outlet specializing in global health, which regularly scrutinizes the governance and spending of major organizations. Last March, it reported that since Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus became Director-General of the WHO in 2017, the number of director-level posts (D2) has nearly doubled, from 39 that year to 75 in 2024—sending the salary budget soaring.

Since the U.S. withdrawal announcement, the WHO has taken certain measures to try to stem the hemorrhage. These include a hiring freeze, shorter contracts now limited to one year, early retirement offers, and a sharp reduction in the number of consultants. Yet many of these consultants are directly involved in WHO’s fieldwork, and cutting their numbers may further limit its actions. No measures, however, have been announced to reduce the number of senior executives.