Health ministers from G20 nations met in Rio de Janeiro on November 1st to express strong backing for the World Health Organization's first Investment Round. This major funding initiative supports WHO's new global health strategy, aiming to improve billions of lives and save approximately 40 million lives. The ministers called on all member states and partners to contribute according to their capacity. They stressed that adequate funding is essential for WHO to address health challenges crossing national borders.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros announced that 63 pledges totaling over one billion US dollars have been received. More than half come from first-time voluntary contributors, including many nations from Africa, the Western Pacific, and South-East Asia. Germany, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, and Türkiye have already pledged support. The G20 Leaders' Summit scheduled for November 18-19 is expected to attract additional commitments for sustainable WHO funding.