Fourteen African nations, alongside various global partners, have pledged over $45 million to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Investment Round, an initiative launched three months ago to secure sustainable funding for the organization’s critical role in global health.
These commitments were announced during the WHO Regional Committee for Africa meeting, where heads of state and government emphasized the importance of investing in global health and reinforcing the WHO. The countries making these pledges include Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania.
In addition to these nations, several international partners have also pledged their support, with some promising to confirm their contributions later in the year. Among these partners are the 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.
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, “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.”
A statement from WHO on Tuesday highlighted the significance of this event, which is designed to ensure the organization can more effectively fulfill its mission of promoting and protecting global health. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, underscored this point, saying, “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.”
The WHO Investment Round, which began at the World Health Assembly in May 2024, aims to secure contributions that are flexible, aligned with WHO’s strategic goals, and provided predictably at the start of the four-year budget cycle to enhance strategic decision-making. The initiative will continue to gather momentum with additional pledging events planned worldwide in the coming months.
By Ebubedike Ochu
