The World Health Organization, through the foundation it set up to bridge member states’ deficits, is sourcing emergency funding directly from companies to help deal with international crises.
The WHO Foundation – created in May 2020 when the UN health agency was looking for resources to fight the Covid-19 pandemic – was set up to mobilize new resources from businesses and philanthropists.
The foundation, which went live in January 2021, aims to “mobilize more support for WHO, from the public, from business, from philanthropists,” its chief executive Anil Soni told AFP.
“No organization, no sector can solve the challenges facing the world on its own,” said the 46-year-old American.
The WHO has a two-year budget of $5.8 billion, but its financial independence has steadily declined.
The 194 member states finance almost 16 percent of the organization through membership fees.
The rest comes from voluntary contributions, 88 percent of which is “earmarked,” meaning the money goes to donor-earmarked projects.
And as government budgets tighten around the world, governments “have to make tough decisions about where to spend their money,” Soni said.
“That’s why we should do more with the private sector.”
– “Matchmaker” –
The foundation states that it exists because the WHO does not have enough resources to fulfill its mandate.
The list of health crises currently being tackled by WHO includes Covid-19, the cholera outbreak in Haiti, the war in Ukraine, devastating floods in Pakistan, monkeypox and attempts to bring aid to Ethiopia’s beleaguered Tigray region.
The foundation has raised $30 million since the beginning of 2021 – money that has been mostly focused on supporting the WHO’s emergency response to Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine.
“Part of our job is being a matchmaker, making sure we can facilitate dialogue and share information,” Soni said.
“So WHO sees the benefit of working with the private sector, and the private sector sees the power of WHO.”
The foundation has around 40 staff compared to more than 8,600 for the WHO, which is also based in Geneva.
– Innovation investments –
Soni admits that some – including within the WHO – fear the risk of private companies exerting too much influence over the organization that makes decisions about the use and approval of drugs, vaccines and treatments.
He insisted mechanisms were in place to prevent companies from influencing such decisions.
“But closing the door on the entire private sector – that doesn’t work,” he said.
On September 19, the WHO Foundation announced it had partnered with venture capital firm OurCrowd to launch a $200 million investment fund focused on breakthrough health technologies.
OurCrowd will raise the money and a portion of the profits will go to the WHO.
In addition, companies in which the fund has invested must commit to ensuring fair access to their new technologies – one of the WHO’s main criticisms during the pandemic response as poorer nations queue up for Covid vaccines and treatments.
– Flexible friends –
On September 22, the Foundation announced the launch of the Health Emergencies Alliance partnership – a vehicle for businesses and philanthropists to support WHO in regularly addressing health emergencies.
The partnership, which is still in its infancy, hopes to get funding to the front lines quickly and effectively.
French laboratory-pharma giant Sanofi was the first to sign up, Soni said, while talks with other companies are ongoing.
Those who join the program make a fixed contribution to the foundation each year with no earmarking of the donation, allowing WHO the flexibility to respond to emergencies.
And when a health emergency suddenly strikes, these companies have the ability to capitalize on additional resources to respond to their customers, employees, and the company itself within 24 hours while emotions still run strong at the onset of disasters.
The alliance aims to enable companies to respond even more quickly to emergencies while giving the WHO greater flexibility in funding, Soni explained.
