The World Health Organization (WHO) secured $1.7 billion in new pledges at the G20 meeting, bringing total commitments to $3.8 billion for its 2025–2028 strategy. This funding, which includes significant contributions from Australia, Indonesia, Spain, and the UK, aims to enhance financial stability and flexibility for WHO's initiatives, with a goal of saving an additional 40 million lives over the next four years. The G20 reaffirmed WHO's central role in global health, emphasizing the need for sustainable financing.
The G20 Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro marked a significant milestone for the WHO's first investment cycle, with leaders committing to sustainable financing. The total pledged now stands at $1.7 billion, contributing to a goal of $7.1 billion to enhance global health strategies and save millions of lives over the next four years. The investment cycle aims to diversify funding sources and improve the organization's financial resilience, enabling more effective responses to health crises.
The WHO and COP29 hosts have urged countries to adopt health-focused Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as global fossil fuel emissions hit record highs. Despite the health crisis linked to climate change, funding for health initiatives remains below 1% of climate finance, with many nations failing to heed warnings about the impacts of extreme weather on public health. The newly launched Continuity Coalition aims to enhance coordinated action on health and climate, emphasizing the urgent need for a transition to renewable energy and improved health infrastructure.
Urgent climate action could save two million lives annually, according to the WHO, which highlights the health impacts of rising temperatures and advocates for five key interventions, including heat-health warning systems and clean energy transitions. Despite health being a priority in many national climate plans, funding remains critically low, with only 6% of climate adaptation resources allocated to health. The report underscores the need for integrated health planning in climate commitments, warning that climate change could lead to 250,000 additional deaths each year by 2050.
The EMRO region's recent discussions highlighted the severe impact of conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, and Lebanon on health infrastructure, with calls for solidarity and global cooperation to address health crises. WHO's Director General urged member states to finalize Pandemic Agreement negotiations and participate in a $7 billion investment initiative to support the organization's budget. Meanwhile, the South-East Asian regional meeting adopted resolutions on adolescent health and celebrated significant health achievements despite political unrest in Bangladesh.
The World Health Organization secured $1 billion in pledges at a fundraising event in Berlin, marking a significant step towards sustainable financing to address global health emergencies. This funding aims to support WHO's $11.1 billion strategy for 2025-28, which could save over 40 million lives. Key European nations, including Germany and the EU, have committed substantial amounts, while further appeals for funding are planned across Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
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