Jamaica has given its stamp of approval to efforts to reform the way in which the World Health Organisation (WHO) is financed.
“The WHO plays an essential role in health governance, including the delivery of much needed global health policy and technical advice, and in accordance with its core global functions under the WHO Constitution,” noted Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, addressing the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday (May 24).
“We therefore concur that a sustainably resourced WHO is required for the Organisation to be ‘fit for purpose’, efficiently and effectively fulfilling its mandate as the lead directing and coordinating authority in the area of international health,” he added.
“Jamaica further agrees that the main source of funding for the organisation should be the assessed contributions of member states, which will improve prioritisation on thematic areas, reduce the influence of voluntary contributions on the organisation, thus improving the independence of its work,” the Minister said further.
Assessed contributions are a percentage of a country’s Gross Domestic Product, with the percentage agreed by the United Nations General Assembly and approved by Member States every two years at the WHA. They currently cover less than 20% of the total budget.
Voluntary contributions cover the remainder and come largely from Member States as well as from other United Nations organisations, intergovernmental organisations, philanthropic foundations, the private sector, and other sources.
According to Dr. Tufton, Jamaica welcomes the work to strengthen transparency, efficiency and accountability. He also put forward a number of recommendations. They include that the WHO incorporates the “valuable experience” of the Pan-American Health Organisation with bottom-up planning and that it further examines its budgeting process, as well as the percentage of administrative costs as compared to costs of services delivered.
“Greater cost savings and efficiency measures should be pursued in this regard,” the Minister noted.
He also recommended that the WHO ‘focuses on its core functions and priorities which should be on the delivery of technical cooperation’.
“Jamaica fully supports the thrust to strengthen the viability of the WHO and its ability to provide greater support to the health agenda at the international, regional and national levels,” he said.
The 75th WHA runs from May 22 to May 28. Among the issues being contemplated by the Assembly – the decision-making body for the WHO – are human resources for health, the health emergencies programme and non-communicable diseases.