Experts convene at Chatham House to discuss global health funding solutions

A major event was held at Chatham House on 6 July 2023, seeking to address serious issues in the funding of global health priorities. 

The event, ‘Decision-making in international health financing’ saw Chatham House draw on its unique network to convene 80 leading figures from organizations including the WHO, World Bank, universities, private sector, NGOs, think tanks, philanthropic organizations and governments. 

During the day delegates discussed the underlying rationale for global health financing and the challenges presented by the complex international architecture for raising and deploying finance, and by rising geopolitical tensions. 

Other sessions explored the role of civil society and private finance in facilitating more effective decision making in international financing efforts. 

Creon Butler, research director of the Chatham House Global Economy and Finance Programme, said:

‘The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated the enormous humanitarian, social and economic benefits of properly funding measures to prevent pandemics, limit the spread of infectious disease, and slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance. But raising finance to address global health priorities is getting tougher.

‘This event made strides to address that issue by discussing practical measures to improve the decision making structures that underpin international global health financing.’

Emma Ross, senior research fellow with the Chatham House Global Health programme said:

‘Amid an increasingly challenging global financing environment, it is important to assess the critical factors and processes – political, economic, and institutional – which shape current decisions regarding international financing for global health priorities.

‘Today was a big contribution to that effort, considering how to strengthen decision making in a way that gets more funding flowing more efficiently. Our thanks to all our delegates who attended.’

Chatham House will shortly publish a framework for improving decision making for the international financing of global health priorities, and two case studies examining the experience of raising international finance for HIV and antimicrobial resistance.

Read Securing political and financial support for the global HIV response.