The Signature Event of this year's World Health Summit will support the World Health Organization (WHO) Investment Round, a pivotal moment designed to mobilize resources and deliver a pledge, foster partnerships, and accelerate progress towards achieving global health equity.

WHO launched its first-ever Investment Round in May noting that funding had not kept pace with the Organization’s mandate to promote well-being, prevent disease, expand access to health care, and coordinate the world’s response to a growing number of health emergencies brought on by war, disease outbreaks, and natural disasters. It is part of a broader plan to transform the way the Organization is funded heading into an era of climate change, mass migration, pandemic threats, an ageing world population, and turbulent geopolitics.

The launch, on the eve of the Seventy-Seventh World Health Assembly, marked the start of a year-long series of engagements and events, co-hosted by countries, where Member States and other donors will be invited to contribute funds to WHO’s strategy for 2025 through 2028 and show high-level political commitment to WHO and global health.

Holding an Investment Round was one of the key recommendations put forward by the Member State-led WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing and approved by Member States to make WHO a predictably, sustainably, flexibly funded organization. Member States have also approved an increase in their assessed contributions, on the pathway to providing 50% of WHO’s base budget by 2030. With the Investment Round, WHO is seeking to expand its donor base by mobilizing new contributions from the WHO Member States that have not yet provided voluntary contributions and by tapping into new private sector donors through the WHO Foundation.

The Investment Round will secure funding for WHO’s strategy, the 14th General Programme of Work (GPW 14). The GPW 14 sets a high-level road map for global health and will guide WHO’s work in support of Member States and partners for the 4-year period 2025-2028 to reinvigorate actions needed to get the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track, while future-proofing health and care systems for the post-SDG era.

Following the Signature Event, we invite you to enjoy a variety of food and drinks in the venue's catering areas. The Market restaurant on the first floor will also be open for dining and seating, providing additional options for your enjoyment. We encourage you to explore all available spaces.

Thank you for being a part of the World Health Summit!

Anil Soni

Sessions with Anil Soni