The global health system has long been under assault and recent drastic cuts to foreign aid budgets around the world reinforce the trend. Official development assistance for health from advanced economies reached a 13-year low in 2021 and, despite a brief surge during the pandemic, has continued on a downward trajectory. Such global health divestment will leave vulnerable populations without critical resources to combat rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and emerging diseases.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the extent of underinvestment in global health, particularly in basic health care, as well as pandemic preparedness and response. Add to this the escalating threats to health from climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. Now is not the time to defund global health, and novel approaches are required to address the growing financing gap.
The threats to global health put at risk the remarkable achievements of previous decades. Almost inconceivable improvements in life expectancy and quality of life — such as the near-eradication of polio through immunization or preventing waterborne diseases by improving clean water access — came on the back of massive investments through national development aid and philanthropic contributions. Few if any areas of development assistance can show similar impressive results.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Erik Berglof
Erik Berglof is chief economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He leads the economics department and is responsible for setting its vision and strategy. Previously, he was director of the Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics, and chief economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
