Doha, Qatar (21 November) - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and WHO signed an agreement today to collaborate strategically to help their common Member States build better health systems, respond to emergencies and more.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and IsDB Group President and Group Chairman H.E. Dr Muhammad Al Jasser signed the strategic framework agreement in Doha on the sidelines of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"Even before COVID-19, the world was off-track for the Strategic Development Goals, and the overlapping crises of the pandemic, climate change, conflicts, divisive politics and inflation have put us even further behind," said Dr Tedros said. "But rather than derailing the SDGs, the challenges we face demonstrate why we must pursue them with even more determination, innovation and cooperation. The agreement WHO is signing with the Islamic Development Bank will help us to do that in some of the poorest, most fragile and most vulnerable countries in the world."

So far this year, IsDB's projected funding to WHO stands at more than US$ 2.1; the contributions are earmarked to prepare for health emergencies in Africa. In the 2020-21 biennium, IsDB made contributions to respond to acute health emergencies and to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The contributions for polio targeted Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus is still endemic.

"It is a great pleasure and honor to participate in this historic milestone to sign the strategic framework agreement and discuss the strengthening of our areas of cooperation," Dr Al Jasser said. "We count on WHO support to work with the newly established (G20) Pandemic Fund to unlock more grant resources for the neediest common member countries."

The IsDB and WHO share 57 Member States; a country must belong to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to become an IsDB member.

H.E. Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser and Dr Tedros signing the Strategic Framework Agreement, 21 November 2022