/wha78-strategic-roundtable-on-data-and-sustainable-financing.tmb-1200v.jpg?sfvrsn=c300bafd_7 "WHA 2025: Daily Update - May 21st")
WHA 2025: Daily Update – May 21st
- Global health leaders are calling for country-led, data-driven solutions to address what they describe as a "health financing emergency." Ministers from several nations impacted by abrupt cuts in...
- Senait Fisseha, vice President at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized that this crisis presents an chance to overhaul health financing policies...
- Fisseha urged countries to rethink data and financing to better meet their needs,advocating for funders and growth partners to support country-led initiatives.
Global health faces a “health financing emergency,” compelling leaders to seek data-driven solutions and country-led strategies. This is the chief takeaway from the World Health Assembly dialog, co-hosted by the WHO and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. Countries are urged to fortify domestic data infrastructure and build resilient health systems to counter external funding cuts.Discussions emphasized leveraging digital change for openness, exploring innovative revenue sources, and establishing mandatory health coverage. The assembly is considering a Health Financing resolution, showing a commitment to lasting financing. News Directory 3 provides this vital update. Discover what’s next as the assembly solidifies these commitments this week.
Health Financing emergency Spurs Data-driven Solutions
Updated May 27, 2025
Global health leaders are calling for country-led, data-driven solutions to address what they describe as a “health financing emergency.” Ministers from several nations impacted by abrupt cuts in external health funding convened at a World Health Assembly dialog, co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, to discuss strategies.
Senait Fisseha, vice President at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized that this crisis presents an chance to overhaul health financing policies and data systems. The focus should be on reducing reliance on external systems and building robust domestic data infrastructure to ensure access to essential services.
Fisseha urged countries to rethink data and financing to better meet their needs,advocating for funders and growth partners to support country-led initiatives. Ghebreyesus stated that data and sustainable financing are political choices that determine the reach and quality of care.
Ministers from Barbados,the Central African Republic,Egypt,Liberia,Malawi,Rwanda,and Sierra Leone,along with representatives from the African Union and the World Bank,shared experiences on strengthening data systems,health financing,and planning. They emphasized leveraging digital transformation to enhance openness and accountability.
Discussions also covered improving domestic financing through strengthened tax governance, exploring revenue sources like taxes on food, alcohol, and tobacco, and establishing mandatory health coverage schemes with subsidies for vulnerable populations. Strategic purchasing of health supplies, prioritizing health in public spending, and integrating externally-funded programs into domestic systems were also highlighted.
What’s next
The World Health assembly is slated to address the proposed WHA Health Financing resolution later this week, potentially solidifying commitments to sustainable and equitable health financing.