All for health, health for all
To do its work properly, in the face of myriad, unprecedented threats, the WHO needs more sustainable and predictable funding – which it hopes to achieve with its new investment round for new and existing donors.
Health is facing an unprecedented threat, with severe inequities worsened by Covid-19. Over half of the global population lacks essential health services, and 2 billion people face financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health spending. The number of children who have not received a single vaccine dose is climbing for the first time in modern history, non-communicable diseases are now the leading cause of early death, mental health issues are more prevalent, antimicrobial resistance is rising, and climate change threatens the habitability of our planet, on which all life depends. Conflict, insecurity and displacement abound, while the disturbing trend of attacks on healthcare workers and facilities has escalated alarmingly.
The 14th General Programme of Work was created with member states of the World Health Organization to address these challenges.
However, the WHO’s funding constraints hinder the GPW14’s implementation. Dues paid by member states cover only a quarter of the WHO’s budget, with the rest from voluntary contributions, mostly from a few donors, with the top 10 donors accounting for 70% of the total funding. These contributions are often short term and earmarked, leading to an unstable workforce and inefficient use of time writing more than 3,000 donor reports each year. To achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, the WHO needs sustainable financing – flexible, predictable and resilient funding.
A new funding opportunity
In 2024, the WHO therefore launched its first investment round to mobilise resources for its core work, outlined in the investment case titled ‘All for Health, Health for All’. Investment in the WHO brings a health return, with $35 returned for every $1 spent in our core areas of work – the development of guidance, data collection and monitoring, technical support and capacity building.
The investment round is an opportunity for existing and new donors to engage in a process that will culminate in multiple pledging opportunities in the second half of 2024, spearheaded by two head-of-state level events. The first is championed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway at this year’s World Health Summit in Berlin. The second comes at the G20 summit in November hosted by President Lula da Silva of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.
Sustainable financing of the WHO is a political choice that will enable decisive steps to be taken to tackle emergencies and outbreaks that threaten lives and jeopardise global health security, to reduce disease and to continue working to improve well-being for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable – ultimately saving 40 million lives, and delivering All for Health, Health for All.
