Countries endorse resolution to tackle global health financing emergency
The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly approved a new resolution on strengthening health financing globally, reaffirming their commitment to delivering universal health coverage (UHC) through advancing people-centred primary health care. This comes at crucial moment as external aid faces a potential 40% reduction in 2025, alongside increasing out-of-pocket spending on health and disruptions in health services in many countries. This shock has resulted in a global health financing emergency that is hitting already-stretched health systems in low- and middle-income economies.
The new Resolution outlines actions for Member States to bolster health financing by bringing more money for health in domestic budgets and improving public financial management systems to generate the greatest positive impact on population health.
The rapidly changing landscape also calls for a renewed role for WHO; one that will help shift both domestic and global health financing architectures towards country self-reliance and sustainable progress for UHC.
WHO will operationalize the priorities laid out in the Resolution by further strengthening its technical core functions on data analytics, policy and norms, and monitoring and accountability. WHO will also continue to work with countries to strengthen public financing as a cornerstone of resilient health systems that deliver quality, affordable and equitable health for all.
