$1.5 Billion From Multilateral Development Banks and WHO for Global Health Investment Platform to Strengthen Primary Care in Vulnerable Nations

The new Health Impact Investment Platform is officially moving forward with its first country health investment plans, marking a significant step in transforming initial commitments into operational projects. This groundbreaking collaboration, involving Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the World Health Organization (WHO), and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), aims to strengthen primary healthcare (PHC) in underserved communities to enhance resilience against pandemic threats and the climate crisis.

During a high-level roundtable in New York, held alongside the UN Summit of the Future, fresh funding agreements were signed, with partners committing to start identifying healthcare needs and planning improvements in 15 countries. This meeting brought together the three founding MDBs—the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)—along with the WHO, heads of state, and ministers from Djibouti, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The Asian Development Bank also announced its intention to join the platform, expanding the initiative into its operating regions.

The EIB and WHO kicked off the funding process by signing an initial contribution of $10 million. The AfDB and IDB are expected to finalize their contributions for the same amount soon. The platform aims to unlock $1.5 billion in concessional loans and grants to boost and expand PHC services in vulnerable communities across LMICs, with these 15 countries forming the first phase of the effort.

By working closely with governments, the platform seeks to develop national health strategies that prioritize primary healthcare and focus on investment opportunities tailored to specific national needs. This initiative follows the platform’s announcement a year ago at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris.

Senegal’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ibrahima Sy, stressed the importance of integrating the private sector, local communities, and diverse forms of financing to drive health progress. He highlighted that the involvement of MDBs, the WHO, and national governments will be crucial in channeling investments to support PHC and local vaccine production.

Uganda’s Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, commended the platform, stating that the majority of health challenges, whether related to disease outbreaks or access to care, begin and end at the primary healthcare level. She noted that strengthening this foundation is key to addressing the broader health needs of the population.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that PHC is the most cost-effective and equitable way to improve health, help prevent diseases, and detect outbreaks early. He called the Health Impact Investment Platform a vital source of new funding for building climate- and crisis-resilient healthcare systems in countries that need it most.

Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB, reflected on the platform’s launch a year ago and how today’s new steps will help countries develop tailored health investment plans. She highlighted that supporting PHC services is fundamental to building strong communities, and this initiative, in partnership with MDBs and WHO, will create a meaningful impact.

European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, underscored that global health security depends on improving primary care, especially in vulnerable areas. The new funds, she said, would be crucial in stopping disease outbreaks at their source, and the platform will strengthen collaboration between countries and funders to ensure effective investments.

The WHO had previously estimated that to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), low- and lower-middle-income countries would need to significantly increase health spending, requiring an additional $371 billion annually by 2030. In addition, preparing for future pandemics will demand a global investment of $31.1 billion annually, with about one-third of that expected to come from international financing.

The Health Impact Investment Platform draws on the lessons learned during the pandemic through partnerships between countries, MDBs, and organizations. Previous collaborations between the WHO, EIB, and the European Commission in Angola, Ethiopia, and Rwanda demonstrated the potential of using technical assistance, grants, and concessional loans to strengthen PHC systems. These earlier efforts, initially designed as stand-alone programs or as part of COVID-19 responses, paved the way for this new coordinated global initiative.

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