[EB152 Special]: WHO on the Replenishment Bandwagon; Proposals to Reform the Executive Board

Newsletter Edition #172 [The Files In-Depth]

Hi,

Today we bring you a story on a proposal for replenishment financing for WHO that will be taken up at the 152nd session of the Executive Board, later this month. If approved, this will be defining for WHO with potential implications on the nature of its governance.

(We have done a string of stories on WHO financing over the last year - see thread here.)

We also have another story on potential reforms to improve the functioning of the Executive Board.

The WHO reform process is now a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms, including SCHEPPR, AMSTG and HEPR. I hope we have managed to make it simpler for our readers to navigate through the many changes in the global health architecture.

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Best,

Priti

Feel free to write to us: patnaik.reporting@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter: @filesgeneva

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A. STORY OF THE WEEK - PART I

WHO on the Replenishment Bandwagon

In a bold move to address the chronic financial crunch facing WHO, member states of the UN’s only technical agency, will consider a proposal to raise funds from select donors. This will inevitably have implications for the governance of WHO. At the Executive Board meeting later this month, countries will deliberate on a recommendation on a replenishment approach to beef up finances in the context of a fast changing global health order.

This comes on the back of persistent financial pressures at WHO, even as voices grow louder expressing concerns on a small group of donors shaping WHO priorities.