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WHO launches its first Investment Round to sustainably finance its Health for All mandate
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first Investment Round on Sunday, as part of a broader plan to transform how the Organization is funded, heading into an era of climate change, mass migration, pandemic threats, an aging world population and turbulent geopolitics.
The launch, on the eve of the seventy-seventh World Health Assembly, marks the beginning of a year-long series of engagements and events, co-hosted by countries, where Member States and other donors will be invited to contribute funds for the WHO strategy. for 2025 to 2028 and demonstrate high-level political commitment to WHO and global health.
The Investment Round will culminate in November with a major donor event to be organized by Brazil around the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
“This is about ensuring the WHO is fully funded and improving the quality of the funding we receive. Much of the funding we receive is unpredictable, reactive and well-defined,” said Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, opening the high-level event on the eve of the Health Assembly. “The Investment Round aims to change that, generating more flexible, predictable and resilient financing.”
The WHO’s third investment case, to be launched at the Health Assembly on Tuesday 28 May, estimates that the total funding of the strategy, the Fourteenth General Work Program (GPW 14)will contribute to saving 40 million lives between 2025 and 2028.
High-level support for the Investment Round
During Sunday’s high-level event, the Government of Brazil announced that, as part of its G20 presidency, the country will host high-level events, including the Leaders’ Summit in November, to support the Investment Round and bring together countries to join the initiative.
“Global problems need global solutions, and no other organization is better positioned to provide us with the opportunity to find global solutions,” said Brazilian Health Minister Nísia Trindade in a video speech. “We will use the convening power of the G20 to help mobilize efforts to make the Investment Round a success.”
Qatar’s Minister of Health, Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, announced a contribution of $4 million in fully flexible funding to the Investment Round and the intention to contribute further.
“Health care is a fundamental human right and we must continue to invest in the World Health Organization to safeguard our health. Unity is the key to our success,” said Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwari.
France, Germany and Norway announced that they would serve as co-hosts of the Investment Round.
“The WHO must be the guardian of scientific rigor, the whistleblower and, above all, the conductor of the orchestra, in Geneva and in each of its Member States, of the actions of all those involved in global health”, said Frédéric Valletoux , Minister Delegate. responsible for Health and Prevention, France.
“We, as Member States, need to provide more predictable, more flexible and sufficient funding to the WHO,” said Norwegian Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre. “Norway is committed to co-hosting the Investment Round, which will be an important step towards ensuring more sustainable financing of the Organization.”
Other statements of support for the Investment Round came from Dr. Gabriel Leung, representing the Institute of Philanthropy, and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is the WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing.
The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, accepted the Global Health Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award from WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and made a statement supporting the WHO Investment Round and highlighting the its importance for Small Island Developing States.
“We live in a world where we should know better, and I say this at the launch of this Investment Round, in large part because what is being asked for is minuscule in proportion to where the money is being spent elsewhere,” Mottley said.
As part of Sunday’s event, awards were presented to the winners of the 5th edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival by Indian actor, filmmaker and social advocate Nandita Das, member of the distinguished jury of the international festival.
The launch event featured performances by internationally acclaimed Egyptian opera singer Farrah El-Dibany and French-American pianist Jeff Cohen.
A post-event reception was hosted by Germany at WHO headquarters, opened by Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health. The reception also featured remarks by basketball star and childhood obesity control champion Pau Gasol, and a performance by Sherrie Silver , choreographer, dancer, actress, UN development advocate and philanthropist, and a troupe of young dancers.
Match WHO funding to its obligations
The WHO Executive Board approved the Investment Round in January, noting that funding had not kept up with the Organization’s mandate to promote well-being, prevent disease, expand access to health care and coordinate the global response to a growing number of health emergencies brought about by wars, disease outbreaks and natural disasters.
Until 2022-23, Member States’ assessed contributions (membership dues) covered just 13% of the WHO budget, leaving the Organization dependent on voluntary, often reserved and unpredictable contributions to finance its work, a dynamic that created uncertainty and inefficiency across the Organization and left areas where approved activities were not funded.
Holding an Investment Round was one of the main recommendations presented by the WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing, led by Member States, and approved by Member States to make the WHO an organization with predictable, sustainable and flexible financing. Member States also approved an increase in their assessed contributions, on track to provide 50% of WHO’s base budget by 2030. With the Investment Round, WHO seeks to expand its donor base by mobilizing new contributions from Member States of WHO who have not yet provided voluntary contributions and turning to new donors from the private sector through the WHO Foundation.