An urgent appeal has been issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which needs funds to support global lifesaving interventions to tackle unparalleled health crises.
The agency – which said conflict, climate change, epidemics and displacement has led to 305m people desperately needing humanitarian assistance this year – is calling for $1.5bn for its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal (HEA).
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week that they needed help and resources for 42 ongoing health emergencies, including 17 Grade 3 crises – the most severe emergencies requiring the highest level of response.
“Health emergencies are no longer isolated or occasional – they are relentless, overlapping and intensifying,” he said. "From controlling cholera outbreaks to providing mental health support in conflict zones, WHO’s work extends beyond the immediate care we provide. This appeal is about enabling WHO to save lives, protect the right to health, and provide hope where there is none.”
The appeal highlights four key challenges: climate change, conflict, displacement and disease outbreaks, all of which are responsible for fuelling deeper, longer lasting health crises and putting the world’s most vulnerable at greater risk.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
WHO needs $1.5bn for health crises, mainly in Africa
More than half the world faces high measles risk – WHO
Global report urges more investment in Aids war
500 000 Somali children face death in world’s worst famine this century