14 African nations and numerous allies pledged over US$ 45 million to the WHO Investment Round, a three-month-old endeavor aimed at producing sustainable financing for the organization at the center of the global health architecture, in an unprecedented display of solidarity in support of the WHO. At the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, chiefs of state and government from all over the continent emphasized the significance of funding global health and making sure the WHO is strong.
The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “I thank our African Region Member States for actively supporting WHO’s first Investment Round to mobilize predictable and flexible resources needed for our core work over the next four years.” “Wholesale, sustainable funding will allow WHO to better support nations in their efforts to develop populations that are healthier, more resilient, and more prosperous.”
In order to enable WHO to more effectively carry out its mandate and accomplish its main goals of promoting, providing, and protecting health and well-being for everyone, the countries and partners joined together for this historic event with the goal of funding the organization in a sustainable manner. The nations that were present were South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, and the Seychelles.
Many partners joined Member States in making commitments of support to WHO and committing to providing pledges later in the year, including Helmsley Charitable Trust, World Diabetes Foundation, Roche, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, African Development Bank and the WHO Foundation
A strong, predictable and sustainably financed WHO is essential for our region and the world to meet the multiple health threats we face; and support the prevention of disease based on the vast evidence at our disposal,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Every pledge and every partnership counts. Together, we can achieve a future where health and well-being are accessible to all.”
The WHO Investment Round will continue in the coming months and feature key pledging moments around the world. Learn more about the WHO investment Round.
The Investment Round was introduced at the May 2024 World Health Assembly with the goal of generating contributions that are predictable at the beginning of the four-year budget cycle to facilitate strategic decision-making, resilient in that they will come from a larger, more diverse set of donors, and flexible in order to align with WHO’s strategy as approved by its Member States.
