News Excerpt:
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently launched its first-ever Investment Round on the eve of the 77th World Health Assembly.
More about the news:
- Holding an Investment Round was one of the key recommendations put forward by the Member State-led WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing.
- The launch marks the start of a year-long series of engagements and events where Member States and other donors will be invited to contribute funds to WHO’s strategy for 2025 through 2028 (4 years).
- The initiative is part of a larger effort to improve the organization's funding to sustainably finance all its mandates.
- The WHO Executive Board approved the Investment Round in January, noting that funding had not kept pace with the newer mandates of the organization.
- Member States have also approved an increase in their assessed contributions, on the pathway to providing 50% of WHO’s base budget by 2030.
- With the Investment Round, WHO is seeking to expand its donor base by mobilizing new contributions from the WHO Member States and by tapping into new private sector donors through the WHO Foundation.
Need for this investment round:
- Over-reliance on Voluntary funding:
- By 2022-23, Member States’ assessed contributions (membership dues) covered only 13% of WHO’s budget, which left the Organization reliant on voluntary funds.
- This made much of the funding unpredictable, reactive, and tightly defined.
- The Investment Round aims to change this funding pattern to be more flexible, predictable, and resilient.
- Newer Challenges:
- Changes in funding patterns are also necessary as the World Health Organization is now preparing for new challenges such as:
- Climate change
- Mass migration
- The threat of pandemics
- Ageing global population
- Unstable geopolitics.
- Changes in funding patterns are also necessary as the World Health Organization is now preparing for new challenges such as:
High-level support:
- Brazil, France, Germany, Norway, and Qatar have declared their support for the fit-for-future financing strategy.
- France, Germany, and Norway also announced that they would serve as co-hosts for the Investment Round.
- Qatar announced a contribution of US$ 4 million in fully flexible funds to the Investment Round.
- Brazil announced that as part of its G20 presidency, the country will host high-level events including at the Leaders’ Summit in November to support the Investment Round.
