The first-ever Investment Round of the World Health Organization (WHO) reached a culminating moment during the G20 Leaders' Summit today 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 voiced strong support for a sustainably funded WHO, additional financial pledges were announced, and incoming G20 Chair South Africa pledged to maintain a focus in 2025 on sustainably financing the Organization.
The support was reflected in the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders' Declaration 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 financing. We support the conducting of the WHO Investment Round as an additional measure for financing the WHO activities."
The Investment Round is raising funds for WHO's strategy for global health, the Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which can save an additional 40 million lives over the next four years. The Investment Round has succeeded in shifting WHO's funding model so that it is more predictable, flexible and resilient.
With the 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 funding of US$ 3.8 billion for the next four years. This means that WHO has raised 53% of the US$ 7.1 billion funding needed, successfully increasing predictability as compared to 2020, when WHO had only 17% of funding secured for its previous strategy. WHO, Member States and partners will continue efforts to cover the remaining gap so the Organization can deliver on the strategy for 2025-2028.
The Investment Round has also successfully broadened WHO's donor base, improving its funding resilience. Since its launch in May, there have been 70 new pledges from Member States, and philanthropic and private sector donors, 39 of which are contributing voluntary funds for the first time. This is making WHO's funding more diversified and thus marks a milestone 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 broad-based recognition of the need to invest in health and in WHO.
Forty-six donors have so far pledged more flexible funding, compared to 35 in the last four years, increasing the ability of WHO to use the 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.
It is expected that a number of other governments and donors will pledge to the Investment Round in the coming months.
Quotes:
President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said: "The World Health Organization represents humanity's greatest ideals. Investment over the next four years will be repaid many times over in well-being gained. It will set the foundation for future generations."
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, said: "The work of the WHO benefits all of us. It needs reliable financing from a broad base. Every contribution counts."
President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said: "The World Health Organization deserves our support, as our unique common, universal, compass to global health. It is the only organization technically and politically able to coordinate our global action, and edict universal norms and advice in the field of health. As part of this Investment Round, WHO is bringing to life a new Academy, open to all health practitioners around the world, to tackle one of the key investment priorities identified during the COVID crisis, which is human capacity in the health sector. In a nutshell, investing in WHO is investing in the strengthening of our response capacity to health crises and in particular to pandemics."
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President of South Africa H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, who will Chair the G20 Presidency in 2025, said: "We are proud to carry the baton on from Brazil and continue to spotlight the importance of WHO and the need for sustainable financing towards the goal of health for all."
"The WHO 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, WHO Director-General. "I thank President Lula for his strong support for WHO 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 carrying the baton for sustainable financing for WHO into South Africa's G20 Presidency next year."
