Thread

When I took office as @WHO Director-General in 2017, we recognized WHO’s overreliance on voluntary contributions from a handful of donors as a major risk, and we took steps to mitigate it. As part of our broader transformation, we initiated a financial reform to broaden WHO’s revenue sources. Our Member States agreed to increase their fees (so-called assessed contributions) to reach 50% of our base budget, to be provided in five instalments. This reform helped cushion the impact of funding cuts, and following a prioritization and realignment process over the past 16 months - now complete, we have reached a position of stability and are moving forward. We now project that 90% of the base budget for the current biennium, 2026–2027, will be funded. As I told the media recently, systemic problems cannot be solved in a year or two. By building the broadest possible revenue source, we are laying the groundwork to prevent shocks like last year’s. Since 2022, two instalments have already been approved, and as the remaining three are to be approved over the next five years, the Organization will reach better stability and independence. A sustainably financed WHO is essential to promote, provide, and protect health, including by coordinating the international response to events such as the #hantavirus outbreak. My PBAC remarks: www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-di...