WHO Foundation pledges $50 M to World Health Organisation

At the World Health Summit (held from Oct 13 to 15 in Berlin), the WHO Foundation has announced a multi-year commitment of $50 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its work in 2025-2028, which it estimates will save 40 million lives.

The WHO Foundation's CEO, Anil Soni, joined a gathering of more than two dozen presidents, prime ministers, and leaders of governments, companies, and philanthropies, to rally behind a common purpose – health for all – and to support WHO as an indispensable engine uniquely qualified to achieve that vision on a global scale. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking at the event, declared that "the WHO's work benefits us all."

Together, these leaders made $700 million in new funding commitments alongside $300 million in reaffirmed support, totaling $1 billion for WHO. Representatives of a dozen nations in Europe pledged, alongside a number of philanthropies from around the world, including the Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and Hong Kong's Institute of Philanthropy.

Soni announced in the WHO Foundation's pledge new contributions from corporate partners, including Sanofi, to help WHO eliminate sleeping sickness and operate emergency hubs to respond more quickly to disease outbreaks and natural disasters; Boehringer Ingelheim, to support suicide prevention in the Americas; and Novo Nordisk, for prevention and care of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes.

"We have an opportunity to make health more equitable," said Soni, "creating systems that are united and resilient against shared threats like climate change, outbreaks, and rising mental health issues. We've engaged companies across industries and philanthropies from around the world to power WHO's lifesaving work, bringing the public and private sectors together."