At the
#GHS2026 session, Funding, Philanthropy, & Global Health, speakers from
@gatesfoundation,
@CEPIvaccines,
@WHO and
@PAX_sapiens discussed what it will take to pay for health security at a time of shrinking budgets. Keeping the world safe costs about $5 per person per year, but only a third to half of that is funded, and funding is expected to drop 30% between 2024 and 2026.
When an outbreak hits, money can now move within hours. This is progress; however, steady funding is needed between crises. Preparedness remains chronically underfunded, and the panel called for stronger domestic financing and long-term investment in the workforce, infrastructure and the institutions countries rely on when health emergencies occur. Innovation matters, but it cannot replace these basic foundations.
"The focus should be on building the systems, processes and partnerships that allow countries to respond quickly when the unexpected happens" - Prof. Jane Halton, Chair of
@CEPIvaccines Board.