World Health Assembly 70: UK approves the WHO Programme Budget 2018-19
The UK statement delivered at the 70th World Health Assembly in Geneva on 24 May 2017.
The World Health Assembly takes place at the Palais des Nations. The World Health Organization is headquartered in Geneva.
The UK can approve the Programme Budget 2018-19.
The discussions in Committee A on Monday and yesterday have been sobering. Despite the early progress and promise shown by the WHO Emergencies Programme, funds are not being committed in sufficient amount. Continued underfunding of the Emergencies Programme heightens the risk of a serious health emergency on the scale of Ebola, or even greater. Each Member State, in our view, should approach the financing of the emergencies programme in a no-regrets manner. The programme is too important for those we serve and too important for WHO to be allowed to fail due to lack of Member State support.
The UK therefore supported the proposed 10% increase in assessed contributions and now the 3% increase in assessed contributions though we should be in no doubt that this increase alone will not solve the situation. Further, voluntary funds are required.
Looking forward, to attract the funds it needs – for emergencies but also for the entire programme budget – the WHO must ensure every dollar and cent it receives is spent with a clear focus on value for money. And WHO must communicate how it will embrace a value for money culture to foster greater Member State confidence that taxpayer funds will be used to maximum effect.
The UK is therefore greatly encouraged to see paper A70/INF/6 – “Better value, better health” which sets out the WHO’s early thoughts on how it will work with Member States to take forward a value for money plan to be presented at WHA71. As the paper rightly says, value for money is not the same as cost cutting. Rather it is a holistic approach that seeks to ensure we do the most good with what we have.
A value for money culture will help WHO achieve greater impact and results, allowing it to build trust and confidence, attract further funds and achieve even more – a virtuous circle.
The UK thanks WHO and Dr Hans for his earlier comments on this. Further information from WHO on its proposed value for money approach and how Member States can engage with this would be welcome. The UK looks forward to engaging in this work, vital as it will be for the realisation of Programme Budget 18-19 and critical as it will be in the construction of the 13th General Programme of Work