Margaret Chan isn’t backing down in her last few months in office. Early this week, she engaged member states in her fourth — and last — financing dialogue in hopes of convincing them to increase their contributions to the World Health Organization.
The outgoing director-general asked member states to support the health agency’s proposal for a 10 percent increase in assessed contributions, or the dues member states have agreed to shoulder for the continuous functioning of the U.N. agency. Each member state’s contribution is based on the size of its economy and population. In return for their contributions, they become a member of the World Health Assembly, the body that makes key decisions for the organization from its budget down to its work priorities.
The last time this core funding source saw an increase was in 2007, Chan’s first budget since she became director-general in 2006. In the current biennium, assessed contributions cover just 20 percent of the WHO’s budget, a stark contrast from 28 percent in 2006 and 47 percent in 1998.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
