Imaginez that the authorities ask you to build a new tertiary care hospital [fortement spécialisés]. But let them only give you 20% of the budget, which is little more than what it takes to build the foundation. You are informed that you will have to obtain the remaining 80% through consultations with doctors installed in private practice in the wing of the building which is more or less ready.
However, the authorities do not allow you to organize your services the way you want; again they force you on what specialties you can come up with and how to use the recipes and ultimately you have too much money for the walls and plumbing, but you don’t have any for the roof, l electricity or for medical supplies and equipment.
The Organization depends on the goodwill of some of its Member States – which voluntarily provide additional funds – and other foundations and organizations
This is what the budget of the World Health Organization (WHO): in fact, less than 20% of the budget comes from the basic “contributions” of the 194 countries which are members of the WHO and ensure its governance. WHO should seek funds to finance the remainder of its budget.
Currently, the Organization depends on the goodwill of some of its Member States – which voluntarily provide additional funds – and other foundations and organizations. However, half of these contributions, which represent 80% of the budget, come with so many conditions that WHO can buy all the bricks it needs, but cannot obtain electricity.
Is this how we want funded the organization responsible for helping us achieve health for all and build a better prepared, more protective and more responsive world, able to face the next pandemic, or even to so many other health challenges? Certainly not. And yet, this is the situation we are currently facing.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the precarious state and stability of WHO funding.
While some disease-specific areas of work generate interest and attract funding, others, such as the preparatory work needed to enable the world to be better prepared for the next large-scale epidemic outbreak due to a disease. pathogen, or to establish best practice recommendations that can help the world reduce the burden of disease on populations, may be seen as priorities by WHO Member States, but not so much their funding.
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