How WHO is funded

How WHO is funded

OPS Karen Gonzalez Abril
Thanks to CERF, WHO and partners work to address in a holistic manner the health needs of vulnerable populations in areas affected by conflict in Colombia.
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WHO gets its funding from two main sources: Member States paying their assessed contributions (countries’ membership dues), and voluntary contributions from Member States and other partners. 

Assessed contributions (AC) are a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (the percentage is agreed by the United Nations General Assembly). Member States approve them every two years at the World Health Assembly. They cover less than 20% of the total budget.

The remainder of WHO’s financing is in the form of voluntary contributions (VC), largely from Member States as well as from other United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, the private sector, and other sources. 

Assessed contributions

Assessed contributions are the dues countries pay in order to be a member of the Organization. The amount each Member State must pay is calculated relative to the country's wealth and population.

Assessed contributions have declined as an overall percentage of the Programme Budget and have, for several years, accounted for less than one quarter of the Organization’s financing. The balance is mobilized through voluntary contributions.

However, assessed contributions remain a key source of financing for the Organization, providing a level of predictability, helping to minimize dependence on a narrow donor base, and allowing resources to be aligned to the Programme Budget.

→ Read more about assessed contributions

 

Voluntary contributions

Voluntary contributions come from Member States (in addition to their assessed contribution) or from other partners. In recent years, voluntary contributions have accounted for more than three quarters of the Organization's financing.

Voluntary contributions (VC) are further categorized based on the degree of flexibility WHO has in deciding how to spend these funds: 

  • Core Voluntary Contributions
  • Thematic and strategic engagement funds
  • Specified voluntary contributions

 

A bar chart showing names of countries (illustrated with their flags) and the amount of US$ corresponding to their core voluntary contributions account to WHO.

Note: The amounts represent the revenue received by WHO for the period stated and they might differ from the figures in the WHO Budget Portal, as they represent funds available net of programme support costs.

Core voluntary contributions (CVC)

Core Voluntary Contributions are fully unconditional (flexible), meaning WHO has full discretion on how these funds should be used to fund the programmatic work of the Organization. These represented 6.6% of all voluntary contributions in 2022-2023. WHO thanks all contributors to this account.

→ Core voluntary contributions account: 2022 annual report

 

Thematic and strategic engagement funds

Thematic and strategic engagement funds (partially flexible) aim to meet contributors’ requirements for reporting and accountability while providing a certain degree of flexibility in their allocation. These funds provide more effective and efficient earmarked funding by helping to promote WHO’s stronger focus on results, while delivering on our contributors’ priorities. These represented only 6% of all voluntary contributions in 2022-2023.

The list of thematic funders keeps growing. Thanks to our pioneers key “thematic funders” Germany, the European Commission, Norway, Republic of Korea, and Japan, and others who have joined them since (United States of America, India, Luxembourg, Spain). WHO received US$ 363 million in thematic funds in 2022-2023.

→ Thematic Funding (WHO Portal Budget)

 

Specified voluntary contributions

Specified voluntary contributions represented 87% of all voluntary contributions in 2022-2023. They are tightly earmarked to specific programmatic areas and must be spent within a specified timeframe.

 

 

The importance of flexible funding

WHO is extremely grateful to all contributors, particularly those who provide flexible funding and thematic and strategic engagement funds as it allows WHO to be agile and strategic in efforts to promote, provide, and protect health for all. As part of WHO's progress towards becoming a predictably, sustainably, flexibly funded Organization, Member States approved recommendations from the Sustainable Financing Working Group to increase Assessed Contributions to cover 50% of WHO's base budget by 2030, and to launch an Investment Round.

The Investment Round was launched in May 2024 with the goal to mobilize predictable and flexible resources for WHO's core work as approved in WHO's Fourteenth Programme of Work (GPW14 2025-2028) and expand WHO's donor base. It will culminate in a financing moment at the G20 Leaders' Summit chaired by Brazilian President Lula da Silva in November 2024.

 

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Funding for emergencies

WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) allows WHO to respond rapidly to disease outbreaks and health emergencies -- often in 24 hours or less. This saves lives and helps prevent unnecessary suffering. A quick response dramatically reduces the costs of controlling outbreaks and emergencies, as well as the wider social and economic impacts. WHO also funds its emergency responses from specific appeals as well as allocations from joint funds such as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and Humanitarian Response Plans.

Children in flooded landscape.

WHO Foundation

The WHO Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation focused on addressing the most pressing global health challenges of today and tomorrow. Headquartered in Geneva and legally independent from WHO, the Foundation works with individual donors, the general public and corporate partners to support global public health needs, ranging from prevention, mental health and noncommunicable diseases to emergency preparedness, outbreak response and health system strengthening.