Green Light for WHO to Raise Resources to Beef Up Finances; Countries Set Tighter Processes To Streamline WHO Spending [EB154]

Newsletter Edition #209 [The Files In-Depth]

Hi,

We continue with our coverage of the WHO’s 154th Executive Board meeting.

In this edition we bring you an update on the discussions on strategy and financing taken by countries this week in Geneva.

Countries have rallied behind WHO’s efforts to raise resources to decisively address its financial needs. This marks a shift in the way global health’s lead agency will be funded. It also reflects the tight fiscal pressures faced by countries, paving way for greater investments from the private sector and other actors to set the global health agenda.

We will keep a close watch on this transition in 2024 and beyond.

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Until later.

Best,

Priti

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

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I. UPDATE: WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD

Green Light for WHO to Raise Resources to Beef Up Finances; Countries Set Tighter Processes To Streamline WHO Spending

By Priti Patnaik & Nishant Sirohi

In a significant decision this week, the WHO Executive Board has set in motion the process to help WHO raise resources through an “Investment Round” later in 2024. This is even as other detailed measures are being put in place for greater transparency and accountability to not only ensure how WHO manages and spends its money, but also how it uses its resources to set priorities.

Member states are taking active and serious interest in reforming the way WHO conducts its business. But some stakeholders are also wary whether efficiency in spending could be used as a political tool to tightly circumscribe what WHO can and cannot do.

At the 154th Executive Board meeting this week, countries approved a decision that would enable WHO to raise nearly US $ 7 billion to fund the base segment of the budget for the period 2025-2028. (This is an indicative financial envelope that has been proposed by the WHO secretariat.)

This story looks closely at these significant strategy and financing discussions that took place this week. The discussions at the EB this week, followed the deliberations at the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee.  (See: Report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board)

Image Credit: Photo by Mikhail Nilov, Pexels