Lula Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthen Health Through Investments at WHO

On Tuesday, November 19, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated in the announcement of the results of the World Health Organization (WHO) Investment Round. This mechanism allows countries to exchange debt payments for health investments. The announcement was made jointly with Brazil’s Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, and the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom, in Rio de Janeiro after the closing of the G20 Leaders Summit, which featured a Health Working Group. 

We must make sure that the WHO is able to invest in vaccine research so that we do not have to watch people die, often precociously, because they did not have adequate treatment. I am a soldier in this fight to raise enough money for the World Health Organization to be able to fulfill its function.” – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic of Brazil

“While the WHO receives 2 billion dollars a year to try and relieve health issues throughout the world, we have, for war alone, a budget of 2.4 trillion dollars. Can you imagine that wealthy countries invest much more in destroying lives and infrastructure that took years to build by people than they do to save lives? This is the contradiction of the world we live in. And this is why we raised the issue of inequality, combating hunger and poverty to the G20,” highlighted the president.

Lula described the health debate at the G20 as an important path to ensure that those responsible for health care have access to the investments needed to prevent diseases, which, he stated, should no longer exist. “So that we no longer have to watch the suffering of those who died from COVID, often because of the lack of a machine to help them breathe or the lack of a vaccine,” he stated.

“We must make sure that the WHO is able to invest in vaccine research so that we do not have to watch people die, often precociously, because they did not have adequate treatment. I am a soldier in this fight to raise enough money for the World Health Organization to be able to fulfill its function,” added Lula.

MULTILATERALISM — Minister Trindade underscored that these investments aim to provide sustainability to the multilateral health system. “With this investment round, we reaffirm Brazil's vision, which is now that of all G20 leaders, expressed in their final statement, that we must strengthen multilateral organisms and, in health, work together with the WHO in order to make it stronger and promote equity and strengthen global health. So when we talk about the investment round, we are talking about equity and access to health as important aspects,” stated Trindade.

FINANCING — Tedros Adhanom underscored that these contributions are crucial to strengthening the 1944 member states of the WHO. “Through a series of regional events and now at the G20 Leaders Summit, we received 70 promises worth 1.7 billion dollars. Over half of these promises are from first-time contributors to the WHO, as well as 21 middle-income countries across the world. With this investment round, we may now receive 3.7 billion dollars, which is the contribution we need to implement the strategy throughout four years,” stated the director-general.

SUPPORT — The G20 Final Statement, published with the consensus of the leaders on Monday (18) evening, reiterates the central coordinating role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global health architecture, supported by adequate, predictable, transparent, flexible, and sustainable funding. The heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to building health systems that are more resilient, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive, capable of providing integrated and people-centered health services, including mental health, and reaching Universal Health Coverage, focusing on improving essential health services and systems on levels above those available before the pandemic, in the next one to two years.

COALITION – The G20 saluted the establishment of a Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation, and Equitable Access, centered on voluntary cooperation, to promote access to vaccines, therapeutic treatments, diagnosis, and other health technologies for neglected diseases and vulnerable populations. The group also reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio.

PREVIOUSLY — In February, Adhanom met with Lula at the Planalto Palace. At the time, they discussed issues such as the WHO's support for Brazil in eliminating socially determined diseases, a partnership to strengthen the Brazilian dengue vaccine, and initiatives related to Brazil’s G20 presidency.