G20 health ministers back WHO Investment Round as pledges exceed US$1 billion

G20 health ministers meeting under Brazil’s presidency in Rio de Janeiro on 1 November 2024 expressed support for WHO’s first Investment Round. They called on Member States and partners to contribute funding for the organization’s new global health strategy and encouraged additional pledges at the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled for 18–19 November 2024.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 63 pledges worth more than US$1 billion. More than half were from first-time voluntary contributors, including countries in the African, Western Pacific and South-East Asian regions. He thanked contributors attending the meeting, including Germany, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Türkiye, the European Union and the Wellcome Trust.

The funding initiative seeks predictable, flexible financing for WHO’s work. Brazil and Germany urged partners to strengthen financial support, while South Africa said it would continue the sustainable-financing agenda during its 2025 G20 presidency. The announcement concerns funding commitments rather than clinical evidence or demonstrated health outcomes. The stated ambition to save 40 million lives relates to the strategy’s goals, not an observed result; the reported pledges should not be interpreted as funds already received.