$1 billion for Global Health

FIGO members across 132 countries are united in their belief that all women deserve the highest possible standards of physical, mental, reproductive and sexual health throughout their lives. They also know that sufficient and strategic funding is one of the biggest barriers to making this a global reality.

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This week we watched international donors and governments from around the world step up to the challenge, pledging $1 billion to the Global Financing Facility (GFF) at their Replenishment Event.

There is an estimated $33 billion gap in dedicated funding, and while rates of preventable death and disability continue to fall in many countries, Every Woman Every Child shows just how far we are from achieving our Sustainable Development Goals.

The GFF is framed to work in partnership with governments: the aim is country-specific strategies for high-impact, historically underfunded interventions. These range from medical and psychosocial services for individuals affected by sexual- and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care in Tanzania.

Said Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso which co-hosted the event:

“The GFF is about country-ownership—working with countries to set priorities, and drive domestic resource mobilization. These are the GFF’s great strengths. It makes the most compelling case for why countries must lead and put their own money on the table, and it reinforces the prioritization of resource allocation for basic social sectors, particularly the health sector,” 

Positive results are starting to show, and a study published in The BMJ Global Health estimates that countries can save as many as 35 million lives by 2030 – if, and this is critical, global health investment continues to grow at current rates, and if the GFF partnership can extend its reach to all 50 countries with the greatest health and nutrition needs.

With the commitments announced this week, the GFF is halfway towards their US$2 billion target for the next phase of work. Together, we can help them reach that goal.