In a landmark address to the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) in Geneva, H.E. President João Lourenço of Angola announced an US$ 8 million pledge to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Investment Round. As Chair of the African Union, President Lourenço used his dual platform to champion a new paradigm for global health financing one that is predictable, flexible and resilient underscoring Africa’s collective commitment to multilateralism and shared responsibility.

A New Financial Model for WHO’s Core Budget

WHO faces an unprecedented financing gap for its Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14, 2025–2028). To implement its core activities including pandemic preparedness, disease surveillance and health-system strengthening the Organization needs US$ 11.1 billion over four years. Yet, current firm commitments amount to just US$ 4 billion, leaving a yawning shortfall of US$ 7.1 billion (World Health Organization).

Launched earlier in WHA78, the Global Investment Round seeks to mobilize new contributions that meet three criteria:

1. Predictability, so WHO can plan operations years in advance;
2. Flexibility, enabling strategic allocation to emerging priorities; and
3. Resilience, by broadening the donor base beyond traditional major contributors.

To date, US$ 1.6 billion has been pledged by a diverse mix of countries, foundations and private donors—yet this represents barely 23 percent of the total gap. Angola’s pledge brings the continent’s collective contributions past the US$ 100 million mark, reinforcing Africa’s position as a key stakeholder in shaping WHO’s future funding model (World Health Organization).

Angola’s Strategic Investment: Context and Impact

By committing US$ 8 million, Angola joins more than 14 African nations—including Gabon, Tanzania and Morocco—in formally backing the Global Investment Round. President Lourenço emphasized that this funding will not merely be symbolic but will have substantive impact on WHO’s ability to:

• Strengthen surveillance of emerging infectious diseases across Central and Southern Africa;
• Expand immunization programmes, targeting measles, yellow fever and hepatitis B in underserved regions;
• Enhance health workforce training, through collaborative partnerships with WHO’s African Regional Office (AFRO) in Brazzaville;
• Support emergency responses, such as rapid deployment teams for Ebola outbreaks in the DRC.

Africa’s Unified Call for Increased Assessed Contributions

Beyond voluntary pledges, President Lourenço urged member states to revisit WHO’s assessed contributions—membership dues that provide an essential, stable revenue stream. Currently accounting for only 16 percent of WHO’s planned 2026–27 budget, assessed contributions are slated to rise to 50 percent of the core budget by 2030–31, following a historic decision in 2022 (World Health Organization). This adjustment is vital to reduce volatility from earmarked voluntary funding and ensure WHO can deploy resources where they are most needed, without protracted donor negotiations.

The Global Health Financing Landscape

While the Global Investment Round represents WHO’s first major fundraising drive of its kind, it forms part of a broader shift in development finance:

• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is seeking nearly US$ 2 billion from private donors, having amassed US$ 15.7 billion in its last replenishment—yet still facing a shortfall due to government budget cuts (Reuters).
  
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has expanded its funding appeals to include philanthropy and tech-sector partnerships, aiming to sustain immunization coverage amid waning civic budgets.
  
• The World Bank’s IDA 21 replenishment hit a record US$ 100 billion but fell shy of African leaders’ US$ 120 billion target—highlighting the tug-of-war between lofty development goals and constrained donor appetites (Center For Global Development).
  

In this environment, WHO’s call for predictable, long-term funding is particularly resonant. By articulating a clear “ask” of US$ 7.1 billion and convening a high-level pledging event, WHO is aiming to emulate the successful model of multi-stakeholder partnerships seen in vaccines and disease-specific funds.

Geopolitical Headwinds and the Need for Diversification

The Global Investment Round arrives amidst significant geopolitical shifts. The United States—historically WHO’s largest donor, contributing roughly 22 percent of its budget—has signaled withdrawal, cutting both assessed and voluntary contributions worth over US$ 700 million annually (Nature). Europe has stepped in with modest increases, but overall government giving remains under strain due to inflationary pressures and competing fiscal priorities.

In response, WHO has established multiple channels to diversify revenue:

• The WHO Foundation, an independent entity that has already raised US$ 600,000 from over 8,000 individual “Member Citizens”;
  
• Private-sector partnerships with foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Fondation Botnar and the Novo Nordisk Foundation;
  
• Philanthropic contributions from regional entities like ELMA Philanthropies and Laerdal Global Health, which have provided flexible funding alongside government pledges (World Health Organization).
  

Such diversification not only offsets major donor fluctuations but also fosters innovation, as corporations and civil-society actors bring new capabilities in digital health, logistics and community engagement.

Angola’s Domestic Health Reforms: A Foundation for Global Engagement

Angola’s pledge to WHO is underscored by parallel domestic investments in health. Over the past five years, Angola has:

• Increased its health budget by over 25 percent, with a focus on rural primary-care clinics and mobile health units;
  
• Partnered with UNICEF to achieve 90 percent immunization coverage among children under five;
  
• Launched a national malaria-control programme that reduced incidence by 40 percent between 2019 and 2024;
  
• Invested in training for 5,000 community health workers, strengthening the frontline response to outbreaks.

These reforms have positioned Angola as a model for health-system strengthening in Southern Africa—and its WHA78 pledge signals a willingness to translate domestic success into global solidarity.

Voices from WHA78: Solidarity in Action

WHA78’s high-level event, moderated by Moazzam Malik of Save the Children UK, featured pledges from Angola alongside Cambodia, China, Gabon, Mongolia, Qatar, Sweden, Switzerland and Tanzania, as well as donors to the WHO Foundation. Together, they committed US$ 170 million towards the Investment Round at the May 20 pledging ceremony (World Health Organization).

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, lauded these contributions as “a vote of confidence in WHO’s ability to safeguard global health security and promote health equity” and reiterated that “every dollar invested in WHO yields at least tenfold returns in economic growth and social stability.”

What Comes Next: From Pledges to Performance

As the Investment Round unfolds, WHO and its partners must convert commitments into disbursed funds, working through rigorous accountability mechanisms. Key next steps include:

1. Formalizing agreements by end-June 2025, aligning donor timelines with WHO’s quarterly budgeting cycle;
2. Establishing a transparent reporting dashboard, accessible to all stakeholders, tracking inflows against the US$ 7.1 billion target;
3. Prioritizing allocations in line with WHO’s six flagship initiatives epidemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, climate and health, noncommunicable diseases, primary health care and vaccine equity;
4. Scaling up regional coordination, leveraging WHO’s six regional offices to channel funds where they can have the greatest impact at national and subnational levels.

Success will hinge on maintaining political momentum, ensuring that pledges do not lapse and that voluntary contributions complement not replace assessed contributions.

Conclusion: Africa’s Moment in Global Health Governance

Angola’s US$ 8 million commitment to the WHO Global Investment Round marks a pivotal moment for Africa’s engagement in setting the agenda for global health financing. It underscores a shift from passive beneficiary to active architect—where African nations collectively define priorities, co-create financing mechanisms and hold global institutions to account.

As WHA78 continues, the call for sustainable, equitable health financing has never been clearer. Through predictable, flexible and resilient contributions, WHO and its Member States can fortify the world against pandemics, improve health outcomes and deliver on the promise of “health for all.” Angola’s pledge embodies this spirit of solidarity—signaling that when nations unite behind common goals, even the most complex health challenges become surmountable.

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photo source: Google

By: Montel Kamau

Serrari Financial Analyst

21th May, 2025