Who gives funding to World Health Organisation-WHO?

USA is the biggest donor to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In FY 2018-19, the USA contributed around US$ 400 million in the assessed fund of the WTO. After the USA, Milinda and Bill Gates foundation is the second biggest contributor. China's contribution to this agency was US$86 million in 2018-19. Let us know the name of other contributors to the WHO in this article.

About The World Health Organisation (WHO)?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) was established on 7 April 1948 and it is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, it has 194 member countries, while at the time of its founding only 61 countries signed its constitution. 

Currently, it has 150 offices in WHO member countries and around 7 thousand employees work in the entire organization. The WHO is part of the United Nations and its main job is to monitor and help solve health problems worldwide or "Better Health for All, Everywhere". 

The WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, which carries out a survey of health concerns around the world.

The WHO is primarily concerned with influenza and infectious diseases such as HIV and non-infectious diseases such as cancer and heart disease, the problem of potable water, vaccination of children, helps the world in fighting malnutrition and conducts research on various medical fields.

Currently, the organization is working day and night to fight the COVID 19 epidemic around the world, but US President Trump has stopped funding it, accusing it of bias. Now the question arises from where does the WHO get funding and how much funding is received by it annually?

Why USA stopped Funding of The World Health Organisation (WHO)?

Currently, the head of the World Health Organization is Tedros Adhanom Gabareys, the first African to hold this position. It is said that he got this post only because of China. The current Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Gabareys, started his five-year term on 1 July 2017.

In earlier developments on January 28, Tedros, praised the efforts put by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to fight the coronavirus, which was criticized by many countries including USA.

The US President has alleged that if the WHO had pressurised China to share information related to Coronavirus with the world, then 1.25 lac people including 20000 Americans would not have died and the coronavirus would not have spread so much in the world.

Mr. Trump said that when the WHO is not successful in its objectives and the US is not benefited by its functioning, then why should we give it financial assistance of US$400 million to US$500 million dollars every year?

Criticising this US move; UN Secretary-General António Guterres said now is "not the time" to cut funds to the WHO.

"The international community should work together in solidarity to stop this virus,". He further added that "It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19."

Who gives funding to World Health Organisation-WHO

The World Health Organization receives funds in two ways.

1. Assessed Contribution

2. Voluntary Contribution

What is Assessed Contribution to WHO?

This fund is donated by the member countries of WHO. The share of the member countries is pre-decided and depends on the country's economy and population. It means more funds are taken from a country with a larger economy size.

The assessed contribution is considered the 'core' funding of the World Health Organization. This fund is used by the organization for running its daily expenses and essential programs.

The highest funding under this category is given by the US which was US$ 400 million in the year 2018-19 and it was 15% of the WHO's annual budget. The second-largest funder is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which gives 9.8% of the WHO's funds. China's contribution was 86 million dollars in 2018-19.

Between 2010 and 2017, the US helped WHO between $ 107 million and $ 114 million under this category.

What is the Voluntary Contribution to WHO?

These funds are given by member countries, large institutions and companies and philanthropists. Members who want to donate in this category after their pre-determined assessed contribution can donate as per their own wish.

This voluntary contribution is used by the WHO for some of those specific tasks, for which those funds are given out.
Talking about the figures for the year 2016-17, around 80% of the WHO funds came from voluntary contributions. Only 18% was received through assessed contribution and the remaining two percent came from other sources including co-sponsors (foundations, agencies, individuals and organizations etc.).

Bill Gates and Milinda Gates Foundation contributed the most to the voluntary contribution fund in FY 2018-19 which was 45% of the total fund followed by Germany 12%, United Kingdom 7% and Japan and Republic of Korea 6% -6% respectively.

In the year 2017, the US gave a fund of $ 401 million to WHO under voluntary contribution. This was 17 percent of the total voluntary contribution to WHO in 2017.

WHO Budget for FY 2018-19

The total budget of the WHO for this fiscal was the US $ 4422 million of which $ 2292 million has been spent while funds of $ 4417 million are available.

Total Programme budget revenue recorded for 2018 was US$ 2744 million, which includes; assessed contributions of US$ 501 million and voluntary contributions of US$ 2243 million.
The top 20 contributors (account for 79% of total revenue)of the WHO funding are, 

The WHO launched an appeal in March for $675m to help fight the coronavirus pandemic and is reported to be planning a fresh appeal for at least $1bn.

It is clear from the above data that America's contribution to WHO's total funding is very important. If the US does not fund the WHO, there may be some problems in the Corona war, although China has said that it will increase its share and Bill Gates has also promised to continue funding the WHO programmes.