The new foundation will complement WHO funding and not replace contributions made by UN member states.
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an independent grant-making entity called WHO Foundation that will raise private funds to meet global health challenges.
Launched on Wednesday in Geneva, the foundationExternal link will help the WHO reach its “triple billion” goals: protect one billion people from health emergencies; extend universal health coverage to one billion people; and assure healthy lives and wellbeing to one billion people by 2023.
It aims to attract funds from actors that the WHO does not usually target, such as the private sector and philanthropists. The foundation hopes to be able to contribute $1 billion (CHF970 million) to WHO’s efforts over the next three to four years.
The former head of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Thomas Zeltner, is one of the main drivers behind the creation of the foundation and is a member of the Founding Board.
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of more than two years of preparation and hard work by countless individuals and partner organizations. I would like to thank Professor Thomas Zeltner for spearheading this incredible adventure and founding the organization,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
According to Zeltner, up to 80% of the donations raised by the foundation will be channelled directly into the WHO secretariat and the rest to partners. An executive director will be appointed shortly.
More
More
Funding the World Health Organization: where the US money goes
This content was published on
The United States has temporarily suspended its funding to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). How was the money spent?
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
Raiffeisen Switzerland CEO steps down unexpectedly
This content was published on
Raiffeisen Switzerland CEO Heinz Huber is stepping down at the end of the year. This means that Switzerland's second-largest banking group after UBS is looking for a new CEO.
Artificial intelligence has yet to affect election results
This content was published on
Artificial intelligence has not yet had a decisive influence on election results, according to Swiss researchers who analysed this year's elections in almost 100 countries.
Swiss ski rescuers attended 14,000 accidents last winter
This content was published on
Last season, piste rescue services treated 14,000 people in Swiss ski resorts. Some 80% of accidents occurred while skiing.
Swiss rail to run solely on renewable electricity from 2025
This content was published on
From 2025, Swiss Federal Railway trains will run exclusively on electricity from renewable sources, mainly generated by hydropower.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
EU pandemic resolution adopted at World Health Assembly
This content was published on
WHO member states have backed a resolution seeking fair access to coronavirus vaccines and treatments, and a review of the pandemic response.
Covid-19 to dominate ‘unprecedented’ virtual World Health Assembly
This content was published on
Fair access to vaccines and treatments, and an evaluation of WHO's response to the pandemic are set to dominate the World Health Assembly on Monday.
Funding the World Health Organization: where the US money goes
This content was published on
The United States has temporarily suspended its funding to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). How was the money spent?
Donald Trump and the WHO: predictable but precarious
This content was published on
Is the US president's suspension of funding for the World Health Organization surprising? Not at all. But that doesn’t make it easy to swallow.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.