Geneva/Luanda, 20 May 2025 — Angola has pledged US$ 8 million to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Investment Round, joining a growing number of countries that are backing a new model for financing global health. The announcement was made today by H.E. President João Lourenço during his address to the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) in Geneva, where he spoke both as President of Angola and as Chair of the African Union.
This contribution reflects Angola’s strong commitment to multilateral cooperation and its recognition of WHO’s critical role in coordinating international efforts to protect and improve health worldwide. With this pledge, Angola becomes one of more than 14 African countries that have formally joined the Investment Round—an initiative aimed at mobilising predictable, flexible, and resilient funding for global health from 2025 to 2028.
Speaking on behalf of the African continent, President Lourenço called for sustained political and financial support to WHO. As Chair of the African Union, he highlighted the urgent need for a more reliable funding system that enables WHO to plan, respond and act effectively in a rapidly evolving global health landscape. Africa’s unified position includes strong support for the proposal to increase assessed contributions and ensure that WHO has the financial independence to fulfil its universal mandate.
The WHO Investment Round was launched to address a major gap in global health financing. Over the next four years (2025–2028), WHO will require US$ 11.1 billion to implement its core work. However, current projections show that only US$ 4 billion will be available through existing commitments, leaving a shortfall of US$ 7.1 billion.
The Investment Round is designed to fill this gap by encouraging contributions that are:
Predictable, enabling WHO to plan and deliver efficiently;Flexible, allowing funds to be allocated strategically based on global priorities; andResilient, broadening the donor base and reducing dependency on a limited number of contributors.
To date, more than US$ 1.6 billion has already been pledged by countries around the world, reflecting widespread recognition that investing in WHO is a strategic investment in global security, health equity, and resilience.
Angola’s pledge underlines the country’s belief in collective action to solve shared challenges—from pandemics and disease outbreaks to health system strengthening and universal health coverage.
The WHO Country Office in Angola welcomes this landmark pledge and applauds the Government of Angola for its leadership and solidarity. “This contribution is a clear demonstration of Angola’s commitment to global health and a powerful expression of Africa’s voice at the world’s highest health forum,” said Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, WHO Representative in Angola. “It reinforces the importance of multilateralism and shared responsibility in building a healthier and more secure future for all.”
As WHA78 continues, Angola’s active engagement demonstrates a new era of collaboration and investment in the global health architecture. With sustainable financing and united political will, WHO and its Member States can move decisively to address the challenges of today and the risks of tomorrow.
