the culminating moment at the G20 summit as promised by leaders

The first round of investments by the World Health Organization (WHO) culminated during today's G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, chaired by the President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Heads of State and Government at the G20 expressed strong support for a sustainably funded WHO, additional funding pledges were announced, and incoming G20 Chair South Africa pledged to maintain a focus on sustainably funding the Organization in 2025.

The support was reflected in the G20 Leaders' Declaration in Rio de Janeiro, which said: “We reiterate the central coordinating role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global health architecture, supported by adequate, predictable, transparent, flexible and sustainable funding.” We support the implementation of the WHO Investment Round as an additional measure to finance WHO's activities.”

The investment round raises funds for WHO's strategy for global health Fourteenth general program of workwhich can save an additional 40 million lives over the next four years. The investment round succeeded in changing WHO's funding model to make it more predictable, flexible and resilient.

In addition to pledges received from Australia, Indonesia and Spain at the Leaders' Summit, WHO has now received pledges of US$1.7 billion. Including other signed funding agreements and expected funding from partnerships, WHO has US$3.8 billion in funding for the next four years. This means that WHO has raised 53% of the required US$7.1 billion, successfully increasing predictability compared to 2020, when WHO had only 17% of the funds secured for its previous strategy. WHO, Member States and partners will continue their efforts to cover the remaining gap so that the Organization can fulfill the strategy for the period 2025-2028.

The investment round has also successfully expanded WHO's donor base, improving its funding resilience. Since its launch in May, there have been 70 new pledges from member states and donors from the philanthropic and private sector, 39 of which are providing voluntary funds for the first time. This funding makes WHO more diverse and thus marks a turning point in the Organization's evolution.

Seven of these new donors are low-income countries and 21 are middle-income countries, representing a shift in WHO's funding base. This shift also demonstrates a broad-based recognition of the need to invest in health and WHO.

Forty-six donors have so far pledged more flexible funding, compared with 35 over the past four years, increasing WHO's ability to use funds where they are most needed.

Overall, the investment round means that WHO can work more efficiently, better plan the implementation of its strategy and respond even better to crises.

A number of other governments and donors are expected to commit to the investment round in the coming months.

Read:

The President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said: “The World Health Organization represents the greatest ideals of humanity. The investment in the next four years will return many times over in the wealth gained. It will lay the foundation for future generations.”

The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, said: “The work of the WHO benefits us all. It needs reliable funding from a broad base. Every contribution counts.”

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said: “The World Health Organization deserves our support, as our unique shared, universal compass for global health. It is the only organization that is technically and politically capable of coordinating our global activities and prescribing universal norms and advice in the field of health. As part of this investment round, WHO is reviving a new Academy, open to all health professionals worldwide, to tackle one of the key investment priorities identified during the COVID crisis, namely human capacity in the health sector. In short, investing in WHO is investing in strengthening our capacity to respond to health crises, especially pandemics.”

The President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, who will hold the G20 Presidency in 2025, said: “We are proud to take the baton from Brazil and continue to emphasize the importance of WHO and the need for sustainable funding towards the goal of health for all.”

“WHO's investment round is about mobilizing the predictable, flexible funding WHO needs to save lives, prevent disease and make the world a healthier and safer place,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO. “I thank President Lula for his strong support for the World Health Organization and for hosting the culmination of the investment round during the G20 leaders' summit, and I thank all donors for their contributions. I am grateful to President Ramaphosa for taking up the baton for sustainable funding for the WHO in South Africa's chairmanship of the G20 next year.”