GENEVA, Switzerland – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday gained fundamental approval for a $6.83-billion price range over the following two years, together with a 20-percent hike in necessary membership charges.
As the UN well being company kicked off its annual decision-making meeting, member states in a key committee permitted the price range with out objection.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the transfer as “historic and a big milestone”.
The price range nonetheless must be permitted by all of the member states on the finish of the 10-day occasion, however that is principally a formality.
The choice comes after final yr’s meeting agreed to a dramatic overhaul of WHO funding.
Shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, nations agreed on the necessity to present extra dependable and secure funding.
The WHO is basically financed by its 194 member states.
The portion of funding from necessary membership charges — “assessed contributions” calculated in response to wealth and inhabitants — had dwindled to under one-fifth, with the remainder coming from “voluntary contributions”.
This left WHO with restricted leeway to answer crises like COVID-19, the struggle in Ukraine and different well being emergencies.
Last yr’s meeting agreed to progressively enhance the membership price portion to 50 % by the 2030-31 price range cycle on the newest.
The 2024-25 price range cycle marks the primary incremental enhance, with nations agreeing to hike their assessed contributions by 20 % from the 2022-23 price range.
In return for the funding shift, WHO has begun implementing 96 reforms, together with in the direction of extra transparency on its financing and hiring and broader accountability.
Tedros instructed the meeting earlier Monday that WHO to this point had carried out 42 of the requested reforms “and 54 are ongoing. — Agence France-Presse
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
