Spurred by the need to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in an unstable world with profound implications for health, this year’s World Health Organization investment round is a key moment to move WHO’s finances towards more predictability and flexibility. The World Health Summit created an intimate setting for representatives to gain valuable insights on WHO’s first investment round from Catharina Boehme, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Governance.

At the 77^th World Health Assembly in Geneva, WHO will launch a strategy that aims to help billions of people lead a healthy life. To achieve its ambitious goals for a healthier world and deliver the tangible outcomes, WHO is looking to diversify its donor basis, establish longer-term financing, and create more flexibility in the use of its fund.

With high-level representatives from various German ministries and European embassies present, Catharina Boehme stressed the importance of regional champions, and in particular the support of “Team Europe”, in this novel path towards sustainable financing for WHO. “Deep divides run through the world we live in today, as we are experiencing in the pandemic accord negotiations. This investment round can help build important bridges across these divides as we come together in a common understanding of health as an investment towards healthy, equal and fair societies,” she highlighted.