{"id":23270,"date":"2026-02-03T18:40:54","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jhb-webdevelopers\/channelafrica\/news\/who-launches-1-billion-global-appeal-to-support-health-services-in-crises\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:34:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:34:06","slug":"who-launches-1-billion-global-appeal-to-support-health-services-in-crises","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/who-launches-1-billion-global-appeal-to-support-health-services-in-crises\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO launches $1 billion global appeal to support health services in crises"},"content":{"rendered":"

Announcing the appeal in Geneva on Tuesday, WHO Director\u2011General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the funding request was a plea for solidarity with communities living through \u201cconflict, displacement and disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis appeal is a call to stand with people living through conflict, displacement and disaster, to give them not just services, but the confidence that the world has not turned its back on them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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The 2026 appeal aims to support WHO\u2019s response to 36 emergencies, including 14 \u2018grade 3\u2019 crises, the organisation\u2019s highest level of emergency classification. These include some of the world\u2019s most severe and complex humanitarian situations, affecting hundreds of millions of people.<\/p>\n

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The launch comes at a time when global humanitarian and health financing is in decline, with allocations dropping to their lowest level in nearly a decade. Tedros warned that while needs are escalating, funding is shrinking.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAround a quarter of a billion people are living through humanitarian crises that have stripped away safety, shelter and access to healthcare,\u201d he said. \u201cMeanwhile, global defence spending now exceeds $2.5 trillion a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The WHO chief stressed that supporting frontline health systems is not merely an act of goodwill, but a critical investment in global stability. \u201cIt is not charity,\u201d Tedros said. \u201cIt is a strategic investment in health and security. Access to healthcare restores dignity, stabilises communities and offers a pathway toward recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

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WHO, which leads international coordination of health responses in crises, works with more than 1 500 partners across 24 crisis settings, ensuring that national authorities and local responders remain at the centre of operations.<\/p>\n

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Resources will also be used to tackle growing outbreaks of cholera, Mpox, and other infectious diseases that continue to spread in fragile environments. The WHO warned that with global funding contracting sharply, humanitarian agencies are being forced to scale down or eliminate some services.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith shrinking funding, WHO and other humanitarian partners have been forced to make difficult choices,\u201d the organisation said. What remains funded are only the most critical interventions.<\/p>\n

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The agency emphasised the importance of predictable funding, saying early investment allows health teams to respond immediately when crises emerge, preventing outbreaks from escalating and reducing the long\u2011term human and financial costs of emergencies.<\/p>\n

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In 2025, support from the WHO\u2019s emergency appeal helped reach 30 million people. With those resources, the organisation and its partners:<\/p>\n