Imagine a world where even the poorest countries believe so strongly in a global health organization that they open their own wallets to support it. That world already exists. At a meeting in Rio de Janeiro on November 18-19, 2024, G20 health ministers took a major step toward making sure the World Health Organization (WHO) can keep protecting billions of people from diseases and health emergencies.

The ministers threw their support behind WHO's very first Investment Round, a global fundraising effort that has already gathered 63 pledges worth more than $1 billion. The money will fund WHO's new strategy to improve health worldwide and save 40 million lives over the next few years.

What's really remarkable is where this money is coming from. More than half of all pledges are from countries giving voluntarily to WHO for the first time, including many from Africa, the Western Pacific, and South-East Asia. These aren't wealthy nations — they are some of the world's poorest countries.

"Some of the world's poorest countries have pledged, because they see first-hand the difference that WHO makes," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General. "Every contribution counts."

The countries and organizations that have already committed include Germany, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Türkiye, the European Union, and the Wellcome Trust, a major medical research charity based in the United Kingdom.

Brazil's Health Minister, Nísia Trindade, made a clear call at the meeting: "We need a strong WHO to accomplish its mandate and we call on everyone to contribute to the financial sustainability of the WHO, including by pledging at the G20 Leaders' Summit."

Germany's Health Minister, Dr. Karl Lauterbach, echoed that message, saying a strong WHO is essential for the whole world. "Financing WHO means investing in a healthier future," he said.

The momentum doesn't stop in Rio de Janeiro. South Africa's Health Minister, Dr. Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi, announced that his country will continue this work during its own G20 presidency in 2025. "We are carrying forward the baton from Brazil," he said, promising to keep building sustainable funding for WHO long after this year's summit ends.

That handoff from Brazil to South Africa means this push for better global health funding will keep growing. The G20 Leaders' Summit, chaired by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, takes place November 18-19, and more countries are expected to pledge their support.