WHO Foundation Health Emergency Appeal

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a Health Emergency Appeal for 2023 which consolidates all funding requirements for the protection of vulnerable communities affected by acute and protracted health emergencies globally. This appeal urgently needs to be funded as the world continues to face overwhelming humanitarian crises. A staggering 339 million people across 69 countries will need humanitarian assistance in 2023. The myriad reasons that have created these crises include rising food prices as a result of inflation, conflict, climate change, and weakened health systems are consistently facing challenges such as cholera and other disease outbreaks.

    The appeal will focus on more than 54 crises across the world with the most urgent emergency health needs. WHO is appealing for over USD 2 billion. WHO will facilitate lifesaving interventions including child nutrition as millions of children face starvation, across the world 45% of child deaths are related to undernutrition. WHO will also support maternal health care as many women continue to give birth in difficult situations and coordinate responses to disease outbreaks such as cholera that many people in humanitarian crises face.

    The WHO Foundation’s Health Emergency Appeal: supports the WHO to detect and treat malnutrition. WHO will continue to act as the first health responder, ever ready to help countries, coordinating health emergencies, training health workers, and supporting governments to strengthen stressed health systems.

  • WHO aims to save lives and reduce suffering in humanitarian emergencies. Ever present, WHO’s support begins even before emergencies occur by working with partners and national and local governments to prepare to respond to emergencies through direct support. In the event of a humanitarian emergency, WHO provides life-saving assistance to affected populations. WHO coordinates and supports responses by:

    • Working with communities and other health partners to prevent and contain diseases in and between countries.
    • Providing emergency medical teams which are teams of health professionals (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics, etc.) that provide direct clinical care.
    • WHO also provides life-saving supplies during health emergencies such as vaccines, equipment, and medication.
    • Training health workers to respond to emergencies to try and ensure that the health care system can care for as many vulnerable communities as possible.

    WHO has the unique role of coordinating the health aspects of emergencies. Across the world, WHO works with partners in countries to both prepare for and respond to emergencies. WHO has a global presence and a deep understanding of how to respond at local levels and to the needs of communities. WHO has played this role for decades and is a trusted partner in many emergency health responses including the recent Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

  • Contributions will finance WHO’s vital support in response to health emergencies around the world ranging from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa. Detailed information on individual responses can be found here. Funds raised by the WHO Foundation campaign will be channeled to the WHO Health Emergencies Programme so as to allow the maximum flexibility to allocate funds to the region or the country that needs it most.

    Please visit these WHO resources for more information on the activities led by WHO’s frontline response.

    Examples of WHO response on the ground:

  • As an individual or a company, you can help provide vital aid to the people affected by health emergencies around the world, thanks to your contributions. Your donation can be made from anywhere in the world. Tax-deductible donations are available to contributors based in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

    Your contribution counts!

    Individual contributions can be made directly on the WHO Health Emergency Appeal webpage, powered by the WHO Foundation.

    If you are a company interested in making a corporate donation or in engaging its employees via a matching gift initiative, please contact partnerships@who.foundation.
    According to our gift acceptance policy, all donors shall not have interests in the arms and tobacco industry. By giving to the WHO Foundation, you fully agree with the following statement: “I certify that I am neither employed in, nor possess a significant financial interest in the arms or tobacco industry or listed on the UN sanctions list. Direct donations from governments and their agencies, as well as donations from entities and individuals affiliated with the arms or tobacco industries, or mentioned on UN sanctions lists, cannot be accepted and will be returned if received.”

    For any donation equal to or higher than $10,000 USD, please contact our Philanthropy team at e.hulme@who.foundation. You will be requested to provide your name, surname, place of residence and date of birth, and sign an Arms & Tobacco disclosure statement. If you donate an amount equal to or higher than $10,000 USD and we are unable to reach you or have the Arms & Tobacco statement signed, your generous donation will unfortunately be returned.

    Please note that the WHO Foundation cannot accept checks.

  • Established in 2020 as an independent entity, the WHO Foundation complements and strengthens the work of WHO and its global network of partners by mobilizing new funding from diverse sources—including corporations and the general public—to power WHO’s mission. By addressing the world’s most urgent health issues in a new, transformative, catalytic way, the WHO Foundation aims to provide everyone, everywhere, a healthier, more equitable future.

  • WHO Foundation general enquiries & donations:
    info@who.foundation

    Corporate donations:
    partnerships@who.foundation

    Individual donations of $10,000 USD and more:
    e.hulme@who.foundation

    Media enquiries:
    media@who.foundation

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