Fourteen African countries and several partners have pledged over $45 million to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Investment Round, a three-month-old initiative designed to secure sustainable financing for the organization at the core of global health efforts.
The pledges were made during the WHO Regional Committee for Africa meeting, where heads of state and government from across the continent emphasized the importance of investing in global health and reinforcing a robust WHO. The countries that committed funds include Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
In addition to these countries, numerous partners also committed to supporting WHO and indicated plans to provide further pledges later in the year. These partners include the Helmsley Charitable Trust, World Diabetes Foundation, Roche, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the African Development Bank, and the WHO Foundation.
“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.
“Full, sustainable funding will enable WHO to support countries better in their work to build healthier, more resilient, and more prosperous populations,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.
A statement by the UN body on Tuesday stated that the countries and partners came together for the historic event aimed at sustainable funding WHO and thus enabling it to more effectively fulfill its mandate and advance key objectives to promote, provide, and protect health and well-being for all.
“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.
“Every pledge and every partnership counts. Together, we can achieve a future where health and well-being are accessible to all,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti.
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.
Launched at the World Health Assembly in May 2024, the Investment Round aims to generate contributions that are flexible and thereby aligned with WHO’s strategy as approved by its Member States; predictably provided at the start of the four-year budget cycle to enable strategic decision-making; and resilient in that they will derive from a larger, more diverse set of donors.
