WHO Launches USD 7 Billion Investment Round Ahead of World Health Assembly

WHO Launches USD 7 Billion Investment Round Ahead of World Health Assembly (ANI Photo)

Dil Bar Irshad | May 27, 2024 | 02:39 PM IST | Breaking News, World | Follow on Google News

WHO Launches USD 7 Billion Investment Round Ahead of World Health Assembly

WHO Launches USD 7 Billion Investment Round Ahead of World Health Assembly

Key Highlights:

1. The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to raise $7 billion in funds to address global health challenges.
2. The investment round, announced by WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, seeks to support countries in responding to conflicts, disease outbreaks, and other crises.
3. The 77th World Health Assembly, themed “All for Health, Health for All,” will discuss the investment round and launch a new global health strategy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has initiated a new ‘Investment Round’ with the goal of raising $7 billion to tackle pressing global health challenges. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the initiative ahead of the 77th World Health Assembly, scheduled to commence on Monday.

In a statement shared on social media, Tedros emphasized the urgency of addressing multiple overlapping challenges, including conflict, climate change, poverty, and disease outbreaks. The Investment Round aims to mobilize funds over four years to support countries in responding to these complex issues.

The Investment Round seeks to enhance the predictability, flexibility, and sustainability of voluntary contributions, which currently constitute the majority of WHO funding. Tedros highlighted the importance of supporting WHO to make progress in global health and save millions of lives.

The 77th World Health Assembly, themed “All for Health, Health for All,” will serve as a platform to discuss the Investment Round and launch a new global health strategy. Recommendations for the Investment Round were approved at the 154th Meeting of the WHO Executive Board in January 2024, aiming to secure funding for WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work.

During the Assembly, Brazil announced its commitment to host high-level events in support of the Investment Round, while Qatar pledged $4 million in fully flexible funds with an intention to contribute further. France, Germany, and Norway will serve as co-hosts for the Investment Round.

The World Health Assembly, attended by delegations from all WHO Member States, focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. This year’s Assembly will see the launch of a new global health strategy, developed in partnership with 194 Member States and partners, aimed at advancing progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

(Inputs from Reuters)

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.