The world is facing a health financing emergency as global health investment risks falling to its lowest level in a decade, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned.
Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou, WHO Director for Health Financing and Economics, said deep spending cuts by wealthy nations are disrupting both international aid and national health systems.
Speaking at a Geneva press briefing, she highlighted recent decisions by the U.S., European governments, and EU bodies to freeze or reduce health aid.
WHO forecasts show global health investment could drop by 40% this year, falling from over $25 billion in 2023 to an estimated $15 billion.
“This funding shortage is creating a health finance emergency in many developing countries—particularly in sub-Saharan Africa,” Dr. Chalkidou said. Many nations rely heavily on aid, with U.S.-financed programs previously accounting for up to 30% of health spending in countries like Malawi and 25% in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
A WHO survey found disruptions to health services in some countries are now at levels “not seen since the peak of COVID-19.” The situation is worsened by soaring debt burdens, with some countries spending twice as much on debt servicing as on health.
WHO is urging countries to cut aid dependency, improve tax revenues - including health taxes on tobacco and alcohol - and work with multilateral banks for low-interest loans to fund health investments.
The issue will be addressed at the upcoming International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, where WHO hopes leaders will make new funding commitments.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused European countries of taking grain originally meant for impoverished nations under the 2022 Black Sea Gra...
The UK and Germany have signed a landmark treaty that includes plans for a direct rail connection between London and Berlin, aimed at boosting travel ...
A tenth resident has died following the deadly fire that tore through the Gabriel House assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, officia...
At least 63 people have died and 290 were injured in Pakistan’s Punjab province within 24 hours of heavy monsoon rains, authorities said Thursday....
President Ersin Tatar of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said formal negotiations on the island’s future will not resume unless Turkish Cypr...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused European countries of taking grain originally meant for impoverished nations under the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The UK and Germany have signed a landmark treaty that includes plans for a direct rail connection between London and Berlin, aimed at boosting travel and trade between the two countries.
A tenth resident has died following the deadly fire that tore through the Gabriel House assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, officials confirmed Thursday.
At least 63 people have died and 290 were injured in Pakistan’s Punjab province within 24 hours of heavy monsoon rains, authorities said Thursday.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Germany's export slump since 2021 is largely driven by deep-rooted competitiveness issues, the Bundesbank warned in its latest report, calling for urgent structural reforms.
Israeli researchers have unveiled an artificial intelligence tool that can determine a person’s true biological age from tiny DNA samples with remarkable precision.
Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney is reportedly the top contender to become the next Bond girl, as director Denis Villeneuve and Amazon look to modernise the James Bond franchise.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who currently oversees European and Euro-Atlantic integration, has been appointed as Ukraine’s next ambassador to the United States.
British researchers have announced a major scientific milestone: eight babies have been born healthy through a revolutionary technique that combines DNA from three individuals to eliminate the risk of passing on severe mitochondrial diseases.
Mozambique has reported a surge of monkey pox cases, with Niassa province the hardest hit. The northern province of Niassa in Mozambique is facing the most severe impact from the virus outbreak.
In 2024, one million more children completed the full three-dose vaccination series for diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTP) than in the previous year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Accidental poisonings among young children in the U.S. are rising sharply due to nicotine pouches and vaping, with a study warning of serious health risks and calling for stronger regulation and public awareness.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment