WHO launches its first round of investment to sustainably fund its Health for All mandate

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched its first Investment circle on Sunday as part of a broader plan to transform the way the Organization is financed in an era of climate change, mass migration, pandemic threats, an aging world population and turbulent geopolitics.

The launch, ahead of the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly, marks the start of a year-long series of country-hosted engagements and events where Member States and other donors will be invited to contribute funds to the WHO's 2025-2028 strategy and demonstrate political commitment to WHO and global health at a high level.

The investment round will culminate in November with a major pledging event hosted by Brazil around the G20 summit.

“It's about ensuring WHO is fully funded and improving the quality of the funding we receive. Much of the funding we receive is unpredictable, reactive and tightly defined,” said Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, opening the high-level event ahead of the Health Assembly. “The investment round aims to change that by generating funding that is more flexible, predictable and resilient.”

The third WHO investment case, which will be presented at the Health Assembly on Tuesday 28 May, estimates that fully funding the strategy, Fourteenth General Work Program (GPW 14)will contribute to saving 40 million lives from 2025-2028.

High-level support for the investment round

During Sunday's high-level event, the Government of Brazil announced that as part of its presidency of the G20, the country will host high-level events, including a Leaders' Summit in November to support the Investment Round and bring countries together to join the initiative.

“Global problems need global solutions, and it turns out that no other organization is in a better position to give us the opportunity to reach global solutions,” said Brazilian Health Minister Nísia Trindade in a video address. “We will use the power of the G20 gathering to help mobilize efforts to make the investment round a success.”

Qatar's Minister of Health Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari announced the contribution of US$4 million in fully flexible funds for the investment round and the intention of further contribution.

“Health care is a fundamental human right and we must continue to invest in the World Health Organization to protect our health. Unity is the key to our success,” said Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwari.

France, Germany and Norway have announced that they will co-host 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, on the actions of all those involved in global health,” said Frédéric Valletoux, Minister Envoy for Health and Prevention , France.

“We as member states must ensure more predictable, flexible and sufficient funding for the WHO,” said Norwegian Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre. “Norway is committed to co-hosting the investment round, which will be an important step in securing more sustainable funding for the Organization.”

Further statements of support for the investment round came from Dr. Gabriel Leung, a representative of the Institute of Philanthropy, and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is the WHO's ambassador for global health financing.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley received the Global Health Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award from WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus and made a statement supporting the WHO investment round and highlighting its importance to small island developing states .

“We live in a world where we should know better, and I say that in launching this round of investment mainly because what's being asked for is miniscule compared to where the money is being spent elsewhere,” Ms Mottley said.

As part of the Sunday event, prizes were awarded to the winners of the 5th^th edition of the WHO Film Festival Health for All Indian actresses, filmmakers and social advocates Nandita Das, a member of the distinguished international festival jury.

The internationally recognized Egyptian opera singer Farrah El-Dibany and French-American pianist Jeff Cohen performed at the opening.

The post-event reception was hosted by Germany at WHO headquarters and opened by Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health. The reception also included remarks by basketball star and childhood obesity champion Pau Gasol, and a performance by Sherrie Silver, choreographer, dancer, actress, UN development advocate and philanthropist, and a group of young dancers.

Aligning WHO's funding with its commitments

The WHO's executive board approved the investment round in January, noting that the funding did not keep pace with the Organization's mandate to promote well-being, prevent disease, expand access to health care and coordinate the world's response to the growing number of health emergencies caused by wars, disease outbreaks and natural disasters.

By 2022-2023, estimated contributions from Member States (membership fees) covered only 13% of the WHO budget, leaving the Organization to rely on voluntary, often earmarked and unpredictable contributions to finance its work, a dynamic that created uncertainty and inefficiency throughout the Organization. and left areas where approved activities remained unfunded.

Maintaining the investment cycle was one of the key recommendations made by the Member State-led and Member State-endorsed WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing to make WHO a predictably, sustainably, flexibly funded organization. Member States have also approved an increase in their assessed contributions, on track to provide 50% of WHO's core budget by 2030. With the investment round, WHO seeks to expand its donor base by mobilizing new contributions from WHO Member States that have not yet secured voluntary contributions and by attracting new donors from the private sector through the WHO Foundation.