According to the report released before the WHO’s annual meeting in Geneva this week, the emergency department faced severe financial strain at the end of last year, requiring emergency funds to cover salaries. With ongoing financial shortfalls, the department may need additional funding to sustain operations through June.
In 2023, the WHO’s emergencies department responded to 72 crises, including devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza, and a significant global cholera outbreak. Despite the WHO’s overall budget being “relatively well funded,” the emergencies programme experienced a critical funding gap of $411 million, about one-third of its total budget.
The independent oversight committee’s report emphasizes the urgent need for countries to bolster their own preparedness efforts. It also calls for the WHO to enhance its transfer of responsibilities to national authorities to better manage increased demands. Additionally, it recommends new guidelines for the WHO’s role in managing long-term humanitarian emergencies beyond acute disease outbreaks.
Without enhanced capacity in countries, the programme will be forced to cut back on critical activities.
The WHO uses a grading system for emergencies, with the highest alert level being a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC). Currently, only polio remains at this level, with the emergencies for COVID-19 and mpox having been declared over in 2023. Nevertheless, the WHO continues to address a growing number of other emergencies, including conflicts, floods, and infectious disease outbreaks.
WHO member states have initiated reforms to address the funding crisis, and discussions on the report are scheduled
