Latest Developments and Timeline
On January 16, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its US$ 1.5 billion Health Emergency Appeal for 2025, a critical initiative aimed at addressing the escalating global health crises. This appeal follows the 2024 Health Emergency Appeal, which targeted over 166 million people requiring health assistance and responded to 41 ongoing health crises. The 2025 appeal marks a significant escalation in response efforts, reflecting the worsening global health landscape.
As conflicts, climate change, epidemics, and displacement converge to create an unprecedented global health crisis, the need for robust and coordinated health emergency responses has never been more urgent. The launch of the 2025 Health Emergency Appeal was accompanied by a global call to action, emphasizing the critical need for international cooperation and sustained funding to address these emergencies.
Key Facts and Figures
The 2025 Health Emergency Appeal is characterized by several key facts and figures that highlight the scale and complexity of the global health challenges:
- Financial Requirement: The appeal seeks US$ 1.5 billion to support life-saving health interventions worldwide. This amount is crucial for addressing the extensive health needs arising from various crises. The funding will be used to deliver essential care, medical supplies, and support for maternal and child health, malnutrition treatment, vaccination campaigns, and mental health support[2].
- Number of Emergencies: The appeal targets 42 ongoing health emergencies, including 17 Grade 3 crises, which are the most severe emergencies requiring the highest level of response from WHO. These Grade 3 emergencies demand immediate and comprehensive action to save lives and protect health[2].
- Affected Population: Approximately 305 million people worldwide are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance due to these health crises. This number underscores the vast and growing need for health emergency services and highlights the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations[2].
- Global Coverage: WHO is responding to health emergencies across all its regions, with the Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions being particularly affected. This global reach emphasizes the organization's commitment to providing health services where they are most needed, regardless of geographical or political boundaries[1][2].
Expert Reactions and Analysis
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been vocal about the gravity of the situation. He emphasized that conflicts, outbreaks, climate-related disasters, and other health emergencies are no longer isolated or occasional but are relentless, overlapping, and intensifying. Dr. Tedros highlighted the importance of this appeal in enabling WHO to save lives, protect the right to health, and provide hope where there is none.
Experts note that the increasing frequency, complexity, and duration of health emergencies are exacerbated by factors such as climate change, conflict, and displacement. These factors are fueling deeper and longer-lasting health crises, making the need for sustained and well-resourced health emergency responses more critical than ever. The convergence of these crises is not only a humanitarian issue but also a significant threat to global health security and stability[1][2].
Global or Local Impact
Global Health Crises
The 2025 Health Emergency Appeal addresses health crises driven by conflicts, climate change, epidemics, and displacement, which have a profound impact on global health security and equity. These crises are not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of interconnected health emergencies that threaten global stability and well-being. The global nature of these crises necessitates a coordinated and well-resourced response to ensure that health systems worldwide are equipped to handle the challenges they pose[2].
Local Impact
At the local level, these crises disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including those in conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Sudan. The appeal aims to provide essential care, medical supplies, and support for maternal and child health, malnutrition treatment, vaccination campaigns, and mental health support in these areas. For instance, in Sudan, acute conflicts disrupt vital services, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ongoing instability and displacement exacerbate health vulnerabilities. In Haiti, the humanitarian crisis has led to significant health needs, including the need for emergency medical care and disease surveillance[1][2].
Related Events or Context
Previous Health Emergencies
In 2023, WHO responded to 72 acute and protracted graded emergencies, including 19 Grade 3 emergencies. This included responses to emergencies in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, and Ukraine. These previous responses highlight the ongoing nature of health emergencies and the need for sustained efforts to address them. The lessons learned from these responses are crucial in informing the strategies and interventions outlined in the 2025 Health Emergency Appeal[1].
Climate Change and Conflict
The ongoing impact of climate change and conflict is a key driver of these health crises. For example, the escalation of hostilities in Sudan and the humanitarian crisis in Haiti are among the emergencies that required a Grade 3 response in 2023. Climate change amplifies health crises by increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters, which in turn disrupt health services and exacerbate health vulnerabilities. The rise in extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves, further complicates the health landscape by increasing the risk of water-borne diseases, heat-related illnesses, and other climate-sensitive health issues[1].
Humanitarian Access and Funding
Operational impediments such as restricted humanitarian access and poor funding of humanitarian response plans continue to challenge WHO's efforts. The current appeal aims to address these challenges by securing necessary funds and improving coordination and collaboration with national authorities and global networks. Ensuring adequate funding is crucial for maintaining the capacity to respond to emergencies effectively. The appeal also emphasizes the need for unhindered humanitarian access to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most[1][2].
Future Implications
Sustainability and Preparedness
The appeal emphasizes the need for sustainable health systems and preparedness measures to mitigate the impact of future health crises. WHO aims to empower communities to protect themselves and build a legacy of preparedness. This approach includes investing in local health systems, enhancing disease surveillance, and supporting community-based health initiatives. By strengthening health systems, countries can better respond to emergencies, reduce the risk of outbreaks, and ensure that essential health services are maintained even in the face of crises[2].
Global Solidarity and Health Equity
The appeal is seen as a vital investment in global solidarity and health equity, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in addressing health emergencies and ensuring that no one is left behind. By supporting this appeal, donors and partners contribute to upholding the universal right to health and reaffirming the principles of international humanitarian law. This collective effort is essential for bridging the gap between global needs and available resources, ensuring that health services are accessible and equitable for all[2].
Resource Gap
The gap between global needs and available resources continues to widen as crises grow more frequent and severe. Addressing this gap is crucial for the success of WHO's health emergency responses. The appeal underscores the necessity of sustainable funding to ensure that WHO can continue to provide life-saving interventions without having to make impossible decisions about who to help and who to leave behind. The financial commitment required is not just about funding emergency responses but also about investing in long-term health system resilience and preparedness[2].
Additional Context
WHO’s Role
WHO’s response in emergencies is aligned with wider humanitarian efforts and prioritizes providing essential care, medical supplies, treating malnutrition, supporting maternal and child health, conducting vaccination campaigns, and offering mental health support. This approach is designed to uphold the principles of international humanitarian law and ensure that health is protected as a universal right. For example, in 2024, WHO recorded significant achievements, including deploying mobile clinics, delivering primary health care consultations, and mobilizing national and international partners through the Health Cluster to respond to health emergencies.
WHO also plays a critical role in health emergency preparedness, working with countries to build core public health and health system capacities. This includes supporting countries to evaluate, develop, and strengthen core capacities laid out in the International Health Regulations, to detect, assess, notify, and report events, and to respond promptly and effectively to public health emergencies[2].
Partnerships and Coordination
The success of the appeal depends on the support of donors and partners. WHO is actively strengthening context-specific coordination and multisectoral collaboration with national authorities, IASC partners, and other global networks to achieve better health outcomes. This collaborative approach ensures that responses are tailored to the specific needs of each emergency and that resources are used efficiently to maximize impact.
For instance, WHO works closely with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and other humanitarian agencies to ensure a coordinated response. This collaboration involves sharing resources, expertise, and information to enhance the effectiveness of emergency responses. Additionally, WHO engages with local communities and health workers to ensure that responses are culturally appropriate and meet the specific needs of the affected populations[1][2].
Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
WHO's Health Emergencies Programme is designed to support countries in preparing for and responding to all-hazards health emergencies. This includes supporting countries to build core public health and health system capacities, enhancing disease surveillance, and developing global strategies for the prevention and control of dangerous diseases.
For example, WHO's Global Roadmap to 2030 aims to reduce cholera deaths by 90% by 2030, while the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework secures supplies such as vaccines, antiviral treatments, diagnostic kits, and syringes for use in the next influenza pandemic. The WHO Act-Accelerator, designed to accelerate vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, has been instrumental in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic[2].
The rapid detection, verification, assessment, and communication of potential health threats are essential to saving lives and reducing the negative impact of health emergencies. Under the International Health Regulations (2005), WHO manages a system of global Public Health Intelligence to detect, verify, and assess all potential public health events and emergencies. This system uses sophisticated analytics, artificial intelligence, and other tools to more accurately predict and detect potential threats to public health[2].
Conclusion
The 2025 Health Emergency Appeal by WHO is a call to action in the face of unprecedented global health crises. As conflicts, climate change, epidemics, and displacement continue to converge and intensify, the need for robust, well-funded, and coordinated health emergency responses has never been more critical. By supporting this appeal, we invest in global solidarity, health equity, and the universal right to health, ensuring that no one is left behind in the most challenging circumstances.
The future of global health depends on our collective ability to respond to these crises with urgency, compassion, and sustained commitment. It is imperative that we prioritize health and provide life-saving interventions, ensuring the world’s most vulnerable populations have access to the care they both need and deserve. The success of this appeal will not only save lives but also contribute to building resilient health systems that can withstand the increasing frequency and severity of health emergencies.
