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UNESCO World Heritage: 25 new sites inscribed

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

With these new inscriptions, the UNESCO World Heritage List now comprises 1,273 sites across 173 countries. These newly inscribed properties now benefit from the highest level of international recognition and protection. The full list of inscribed sites is available here.

 

A stronger recognition of underrepresented regions

Building on dialogue and consensus, the Committee inscribed 25 new properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List (19 cultural sites, five natural ones and one mixed); and approved the extension of two already inscribed sites – including one in the host country, the Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (Phase II). The Committee also agreed on the renomination, of the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, meaning the value of the site already inscribed revealed new criteria and the Committee proceeded to re-examine it. 

This session also marks the first World Heritage inscriptions for three African countries, including two Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Comoros and São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as South Sudan. The President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, attended the session to celebrate his country’s first inscription on the World Heritage List, underscoring the historic significance of this milestone. Following these inscriptions, the number of States Parties without a World Heritage property decreased from 26 to 23. 

With 196 States Parties, the World Heritage Convention is one of the most universally ratified in the world – proof of its influence and popularity across every corner of the globe.  The session was marked by an exceptional spirit of dialogue, enabling the Committee to adopt all inscription decisions by consensus and fostering a renewed culture of consensus across its work, including on State of Conservation reports.

 

International community mobilized to protect World Heritage in danger

Three of these newly inscribed sites were submitted on an emergency basis: Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan), Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon) and Sebastia (State of Palestine). The use of this mechanism for three sites in a single session underscores the growing number of heritage properties under threat in regions affected by conflict and instability, and reflects the Committee’s determination to extend international protection and recognition before it is too late.

Sites inscribed on an emergency basis were inscribed at the same time on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in addition to three other properties – Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (Suriname), An Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora (Ukraine) and Tyre (Lebanon). They will now have access to technical and financial assistance to protect the site and will benefit from stronger support for conservation efforts from the international community.

The World Heritage Committee also decided to remove Historic Centre of Vienna (Austria) from the List of World Heritage in Danger. 

Landmark strategy for SIDS and Africa 

This Committee session also marks a historic milestone for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) with the adoption in Busan of the World Heritage Strategy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 2026-2034, backed by a budget of US$13 million. The Strategy aims to strengthen the capacity of SIDS to identify, protect and manage World Heritage sites, while addressing the specific challenges these States face – particularly the impacts of climate change. 

Complementing the World Heritage Strategy for Africa, this new Strategy will help provide tailored support to all SIDS while making heritage a driver of sustainable development, climate resilience and inclusion, placing local communities at the heart of its protection, management and transmission. This achievement reflects the sustained efforts undertaken by UNESCO and its partners to make the World Heritage List more representative and to ensure that it better reflects the world’s rich cultural and natural diversity.

Increasing recognition of sites of memory 

Since 2023, the World Heritage List includes “sites of memory” to recognize events that a country and its people and communities wish to memorialize. Today, these Sites of Memory are places of reconciliation, contemplation and peaceful reflection. During this Committee session, the Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944 (France) joined the World Heritage list as sites of memory, honouring the remembrance of the Allied landings of 6 June 1944. 

The next session of the World Heritage Committee, in 2027, will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye.

About UNESCO 

With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.

“Since wars begin in the minds of women and men, it is in the minds of women and men that the defences of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.

More information: www.unesco.org

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29 July 2026 Departmental update WHO updates treatment guidelines on visceral and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis

Source: World Health Organisation

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued major updates to its leishmaniasis treatment guidelines for eastern Africa and South-East Asia, recommending new regimens that significantly improve patient care. The new WHO guidelines, released today, are applicable for visceral leishmaniasis (VL, also called kala-azar), a deadly disease, and for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).

Kala-azar (‘black fever’ in Hindi) is transmitted by the bite of an infected sandfly and is one of the world’s deadliest parasitic killers after malaria. It causes high fever, weight loss, anaemia, spleen and liver enlargement, and, if not treated, death. The disease is endemic in 80 countries, with around 50 000 to 90 000 cases every year, while only 25–45% are reported to WHO.

PKDL is a skin rash that can develop as a complication of kala-azar. While it is not life-threatening, it can act as a potential reservoir of infection and is highly stigmatizing. Many people with PKDL face social isolation and mental health challenges. 

The updated guidelines include (i) alternative, shorter and safer treatment of primary VL in eastern Africa; (ii) new, shorter, effective and safer treatments for PKDL in eastern Africa and South-East Asia; and (iii) relapse management in immunocompetent VL patients in South-East Asia. Additionally, it updates the safety profile of miltefosine, incorporating the recommendations of the WHO Advisory Committee on the Safety of Medicinal Products, and provides allometric dosing for miltefosine.

“For too long, patients suffering from leishmaniasis have endured treatments nearly as punishing as the disease itself, especially in Africa. These new WHO guidelines mark a turning point,” said Dr Daniel Ngamije Madandi, WHO Director of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. “By recommending safer, shorter and more patient-friendly regimens, we are not just improving care; we are accelerating our fight to eliminate this devastating disease and offering renewed hope to communities across Africa and Asia.”

Leishmaniasis is a treatable and curable disease. Its treatment depends upon several factors including the type of disease (clinical form), immune status of patient, species of parasite causing it, concomitant pathologies and geographic location.

For a long time, treatment in Africa relied on an injectable drug called sodium stibogluconate (SSG), which requires lengthy treatments and painful daily injections and caused severe side effects.

For the first time, WHO recommends SSG-free regimens. However, this medicine remains in use for patients who are not eligible for the newly recommended treatment options. In eastern Africa, an oral drug, miltefosine, is recommended for the treatment of both VL and PKDL in combination with paromomycin injection. In South-East Asia, new, safer, shorter combination therapies using liposomal amphotericin B infusion alone or in combination with oral miltefosine are recommended for people living with PKDL. The new VL treatment in eastern Africa is given over 14 days with one injection less and with less toxicities over the current administration of two injections of sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin over 17 days.

In eastern Africa, chronic cases of PKDL used to be treated with toxic sodium stibogluconate given for 30–60 days or with liposomal amphotericin B over 20 days, whereas in South-East Asia, a 12-week regimen of miltefosine was in practice. New recommendations will replace these lengthy and cumbersome treatments. It is expected that almost half of the primary VL and all PKDL patients will potentially benefit from these life-changing recommendations. In addition, the subset of VL patients who relapse will also benefit from the newer, clearer recommendations for its management in South-East Asia. For the remaining VL patients in Africa, who are not eligible for miltefosine combination, they will still have to rely on older regimens, till new therapies are available.

Many of the new therapies now recommended by WHO were developed by the non-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and partners.

“We are delighted that more patient-friendly treatments developed with our partners have been recognized in the WHO guidelines,” said Dr Fabiana Alves, Leishmaniasis-Mycetoma Cluster Director at DNDi. “These advances are important steps towards elimination, but we are already looking ahead. We are now working with Novartis on the development of LXE408, a promising new oral candidate that could help us soon finally move away from injectable regimens.”

Following WHO’s decision to include the new treatments in their guidelines, countries affected by VL and PKDL are expected to incorporate them into their own national treatment protocols soon.

“Now that the WHO has updated its treatment guidelines, we are working also to include the new treatments in our national guidelines, so our patients can benefit from them as soon as possible,” said Wyckliff Omondi, Head, Division of Vector Borne & Neglected Tropical Diseases at Ministry of Health, Kenya. “Kenya has been an active partner in the development of these new treatments through the Leishmaniasis East Africa Platform (LEAP), and we are hopeful that all our joint efforts will lead to the elimination of this terrible disease.”

Notes for editors

Financial support for VL and PKDL studies was provided by several funders including the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Association (EDCTP2) programme, supported by the European Union; the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS); the French Development Agency (AFD); the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through KfW; Médecins Sans Frontières Switzerland; Médecins Sans Frontières International; Medicor Foundation; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the UK International Development; the World Health Organization – Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR); and other private individuals and foundations.

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75 years later, the promise to protect refugees faces its greatest test

Source: United Nations 2

Migrants and Refugees

As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has launched a global campaign urging governments, organizations and individuals to renew their commitment to protecting people forced to flee war, violence and persecution.

The initiative, called The Promise, comes at a time when more than 41 million refugees remain displaced worldwide, as conflicts continue to uproot families and place growing pressure on asylum systems and the countries hosting those seeking safety.

Led by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, the initiative aims to build a broad coalition in support of refugee protection ahead of the Global Refugee Forum in 2027. That will bring together voices from across civil society to reaffirm the right to seek asylum and rebuild lives after conflict and persecution.

UNHCR/Hector Perez In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett meets 28-year-old Jhura who fled Myanmar with her two children when her village was attacked six months ago. She was separated from her husband and fears he was killed.

A broad coalition

Among the first 75 signatories are actor-humanitarians Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, and Ben Stiller, along with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.

Refugee leaders, business figures, faith leaders and human rights advocates have also joined the initiative.

Together, the signatories are calling for a world where people forced to flee can seek safety, refugees are welcomed into communities, and governments act early to support host countries and pursue lasting solutions to displacement.

“Seventy-five years ago, the world made a promise to protect people forced to flee” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih. “Our responsibility now is to keep that promise alive, for all generations to come.”

A renewed commitment

Adopted in 1951 in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Refugee Convention established the legal foundation for protecting refugees and the principle that people fleeing persecution should not be returned to danger.

UNHCR said its principles remain as vital today as record levels of displacement strain humanitarian systems across the globe.

“We must support host countries and communities, expand opportunities for refugees, and create the conditions for voluntary return and other lasting solutions” said Ms. Salih.

The agency hopes the initiative will reinforce the enduring principles of the Refugee Convention at a time when millions of people remain displaced and humanitarian needs continue to grow.

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Forced online scams: IOM warns trafficking networks are booming

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

Law and Crime Prevention

A job advert can hide a criminal network, and a single click can lead to a nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of people are trafficked every year on the promise of legitimate work abroad, only to be held captive and forced into online scam operations.

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued an alert *on Tuesday over the rapidly expanding, multibillion-dollar criminal industry that turns job seekers into forced cybercriminals.

International enterprise 

“We’re seeing victims from over 80 different countries being trafficked into the scam centres, which are specifically playing out across Asia,” said Amy Pope, IOM Director General, briefing journalists in Geneva.

UN News’s Dan Dickinson went on assignment two years ago to the region and produced a hard-hitting series you can read here on the scam farms, facilitated by the UN crime-fighting agency, UNODC

Recruiters target people who speak good English and often hold degrees, she said, advertising what look like ordinary jobs on social media.

Once victims arrive, they are locked inside compounds, stripped of their passports and phones, and put under constant watch. 

Many are beaten or threatened and forced – through violence and debt bondage – to run scam operations targeting people worldwide. “They’re often subjected to physical or mental abuse. They are often unable to leave,” Ms. Pope said.

‘Too good to be true’

The warning signs are there for anyone willing to look, she added: “What often presents as something that looks like an ideal job opportunity is just too good to be true.” One red flag IOM has identified is travel on a tourist visa rather than a work permit – a question every applicant should ask before departure.

Crucially, IOM insists that people forced to run scams from inside these compounds are trafficking victims, not criminals, and should be protected rather than prosecuted. “We’re seeing many of the survivors of trafficking actually being identified as criminals, but in reality, they are the victims of this crime,” Ms Pope said.

Though the scam centres are based in Asia, traffickers recruit globally through social media. Between 2022 and 2025, IOM assisted more than 3,500 victims of forced criminality in South-East Asia, drawn from 39 countries – most from Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya and Bangladesh.

Staggering scam

Rescue is only the start of recovery: survivors often return home facing trauma, stigma, debt, missing documents and fear of prosecution.

The scale is staggering. New UN Office on Drugs and Crime data put 2025 losses from scam offences across East and South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand at between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion – dwarfing the resources devoted to fighting trafficking. “Unless we take the issue quite seriously, we anticipate it will continue to grow,” Ms Pope warned.

IOM is calling for greater investment in victim protection, safe return and reintegration, and wider public awareness of traffickers’ tactics.

*IOM released its latest findings ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marked on 30 July

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A hijab inspection, a slap, a warning letter: Inside three months of Taliban rule

Source: United Nations 2-b

Human Rights

A woman is stopped for buying groceries alone. The shopkeeper who served her is slapped and hauled in for questioning. A teacher is turned away from her own classroom for the wrong cloak.  

These are not isolated incidents – they are the routine texture of life for Afghans under Taliban rule this spring, according to a new report from the UN mission in the country, UNAMA, that catalogues – in granular and often chilling detail – how the space for women, minorities and dissent keeps shrinking.  

Between April and June 2026, UN human rights monitors recorded arrests over hairstyles, public floggings for broken fasts, and the 296th consecutive day that Afghan women have been barred from UN premises simply for being women. 

Proper hijab and male guardians 

Between 6-8 June, at least 30 women were arrested in Herat for wearing “improper hijab”.  Days later, the de facto Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs announced that “Observing hijab” would be the topic of the sermon on Friday, 19 June.  

Imams received a 10-page document explaining that a hijab should cover the entire body except the eyes, be loose and thick, and contain no adornments or fragrance. 

During the reporting period, shops and health clinics were instructed not to allow women to enter without a male guardian, or mahram.  This was even enforced at shops in Kandahar city that sell cosmetics and other products geared to women. 

In another incident, in Logar province, a woman received a verbal warning for buying groceries without a mahram, while the male shopkeeper was slapped and taken to the local Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice office.   

He was released hours later following intervention by community elders and after signing a letter guaranteeing that he would not sell items to unaccompanied women in the future.   

Marriage, education and work 

In April, the authorities issued a new Code on Judicial Separation of Spouses which makes a woman’s marriage dependent on her guardian’s permission.  

The decree also “implicitly sanctions child marriage” and “imposes extreme obstacles” on women seeking divorce or separation, the report said. 

The authors also recalled that since 7 September 2025, Afghan women have been barred from entering UN premises nationwide – whether as staff, contractors or visitors – marking 296 days as of 30 June. 

Women and girls also remain excluded from higher education following a December 2022 ban.  

© WFP/Isheeta Sumra Women and girls in Afghanistan can only leave their homes with a male escort, according to decrees issued by the de-facto authorities who overran Kabul in 2021.

Barred from university 

Although public university entrance examinations were held nationwide in May and June, only 120,000 male prospective students participated and no women or girls took part.  

Other developments related to education included school inspections by Taliban civil servants from the so-called Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice office.   

In one incident in Herat, female teachers not wearing a chador – a type of full-body cloak – were prevented from entering a girls’ school and warned they could lose their jobs. 

Arbitrary arrests and capital punishment 

Beyond restrictions on women and girls, UNAMA documented at least 389 arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as 65 incidents of ill-treatment carried out by de facto Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice personnel.   

Cases were primarily linked to alleged violations of hijab rules for women, having trimmed beards or “Western” haircuts for men, and playing or listening to music. 

At least 137 judicial corporal punishments (112 men and 25 women) were carried out during the reporting period, including public floggings for offences such as breaking the Ramadan fast and having illicit relationships. 

Former officials at risk 

Former government officials and former members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) also remained at risk.  

The report documented at least 29 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention, at least five instances of torture and ill-treatment, and at least eight killings of former security force members between 1 April and 30 June.  

Moreover, former officials and former security personnel involuntarily returned to Afghanistan continue to be at risk of rights violations. In one case from Herat, a former Afghan National Army officer reportedly went missing on the same day he was forcibly returned from Iran. 

Security and freedom of religion 

Regarding security, the report noted that a deadly attack on civilians picnicking in front of a Shia shrine in Herat on 10 April left 12 people dead and 14 others injured. No group claimed responsibility.  

Since January, authorities have closed numerous Ismaili places of worship (jamaat khana) in Badakhshan province and instructed worshippers not to use them. 

Restrictions also were imposed on Shia community commemorations of Ashura, an important holy day, including detentions linked to religious displays and flags.  

Difficult media landscape 

The report also outlined several instances of journalist detentions, media outlet suspensions and radio station closures. 

These incidents underscore the difficult operating environment for media workers in Afghanistan, where licensing requirements, financial constraints and interventions continue to affect journalists’ ability to work. 

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HIV, hepatitis, STI gains at risk as funding falls, WHO warns

Source: United Nations 2

Health

Years of progress in tackling HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at risk of stalling, leaving millions of people without access to life-saving prevention, testing and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

A *new analysis found that while countries have made significant advances over the past decade, funding shortfalls, humanitarian crises and persistent inequalities are widening gaps in care for those most at risk.

“This report tells two stories” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It demonstrates what is possible when countries invest in health, communities and science. But it also shows how quickly progress can be undone with funding disruptions, humanitarian emergencies and persistent inequalities.”

Millions left behind

By the end of 2025, an estimated 32 million people living with HIV were receiving treatment worldwide. Since 2010, new HIV infections have fallen by 42 per cent and AIDS-related deaths by 57 per cent.

Yet around nine million people still lack access to life-saving HIV medicines, while infections continue to rise in several regions, particularly among populations facing stigma and discrimination, including sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgender people and people in prisons.

The picture is similarly mixed for viral hepatitis.

Annual hepatitis B infections have declined by nearly one-third since 2015, and deaths linked to hepatitis C have fallen. Despite those gains, viral hepatitis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, claiming an estimated 1.3 million lives in 2024.

Meanwhile, progress against sexually transmitted infections has slowed. 

Although more pregnant women are being screened for syphilis and HPV vaccination coverage has improved modestly, infection rates continue to rise in many countries, while there is growing resistance to antibiotics used to treat gonorrhoea.

Funding pressures

WHO warned that reductions in international donor funding disrupted HIV prevention programmes in several countries during 2025, affecting access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medicine that significantly reduces the risk of acquiring HIV.

Some governments have stepped in to maintain services, but early data suggest PrEP use has already declined in several countries and communities.

The agency also highlighted continuing barriers to diagnosing and treating hepatitis B, despite the availability of highly effective medicines capable of preventing millions of deaths.

Integrated health systems

WHO said integrating HIV, hepatitis and STI services into primary health care is one of the fastest ways to expand access while building more resilient health systems.

The report also highlights innovations such as long-acting HIV prevention medicines, improved diagnostic tools and stronger digital health systems as key opportunities to accelerate progress.

Among the most promising advances is the WHO-recommended, twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir, which is now being introduced in 10 countries, with rollout planned in a further 14.

Speaking to UN News last month, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the Prosperity and Well-being Hub at the UN Development Programme  (UNDP), described the medicine as a potential game changer.

“Lenacapavir is a highly effective HIV prevention tool. Administered as an injection just twice a year, it has the potential to transform the HIV response by preventing new infections, particularly among populations at greatest risk” she said.

WHO also stressed the importance of strengthening community leadership, ensuring that people most affected by HIV, hepatitis and STIs help shape health programmes and monitor whether services are reaching those who need them most.

“Over the next five years, we must build integrated, resilient health systems that reach those furthest behind,” Tedros said.

*Tuesday marks World Hepatitis Day, the birthday of the Nobel-prize winning scientist who discovered the hepatitis B virus

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28 July 2026 Departmental update Civil society calls for stronger domestic health financing at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly

Source: World Health Organisation

Four collective priorities developed through a year-long consultation process were presented to WHO leadership and Member States during a World Health Assembly side event attended by more than 120 participants from governments, civil society, academia and WHO. 

Nearly 300 civil society voices have called on WHO leadership and Member States to strengthen domestic health financing, presenting four collective asks at an official side event of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly.

The asks, developed through a year-long consultation process convened under the WHO Civil Society Commission in partnership with Save the Children, were presented during “Domestic Leadership in Health Financing: A Dialogue with the WHO Director-General” on 19 May 2026. Co-hosted by the WHO Civil Society Commission, Save the Children, the Republic of South Africa, World Vision and Medicus Mundi, the event brought together more than 120 participants from WHO, governments, civil society and academia.

The dialogue marked the culmination of a three-part series grounded in the Economics of Health for All approach, which promotes viewing health not as a cost, but as an investment in economic resilience, social well-being and sustainable development. Over the course of the series, participants explored how countries can respond to growing financing pressures while advancing universal health coverage.

Dr Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of Health Financing and Economics, World Health Organization, representing the WHO Director-General, highlighted the scale of the challenge. Development assistance for health has fallen by an estimated 23–30%, with low-income countries facing the greatest impact, even as they continue to rely heavily on out-of-pocket spending. Her message to civil society was direct: “We really rely on you to drive this message.”

Professor Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of Innovation and Public Value at University College London (UCL), reinforced a central theme of the series. “Health is not a sector that supports the economy. Health is an objective, the economy must be designed to deliver,” she said, pointing to the human and economic costs of underinvestment in health.

Country experiences demonstrated what domestic leadership can look like in practice. Following abrupt reductions in USAID and PEPFAR funding, South Africa moved quickly to protect essential services. Dr Aquina Thulare, Technical Specialist: Health Economics, National Health Insurance, South Africa, shared South Africa’s response to reductions in external health financing.

“We immediately engaged with our fiscal space and started having earnest conversations with our Ministry of Finance,” said Dr Aquina Thulare.

WHO Representative to South Africa, Shenaaz El-Halabi, noted that emergency funding helped address critical workforce gaps and maintain essential health services, underscoring the importance of domestic leadership in health financing.

Thailand offered a longer-term perspective.  Dr Suwit Wibulpolprasert, Vice Chair of the Thailand Elderly Council Association and Member of the Governing Body of Thai UHC, highlighted how sustained investment in health and social protection helped build one of the developing world’s strongest universal health coverage systems, reminding participants that “action without declaration is much better than declaration without action.”

The importance of long-term thinking was echoed by Dr Angela M. Seiler Torres of the WHO Youth Council, who called for young people to be included in health financing decisions and highlighted the need for greater intergenerational accountability.

Civil society’s four asks

On behalf of the Commission and its partners, Nidda Yusuf, Senior Health Financing Advisor at Save the Children, presented four collective asks developed through consultations with civil society organizations worldwide.

The asks called for:

  1. Protection of life-saving essential health services and investment in primary health care, including a commitment of an additional 1% of GDP to primary health care, explicit protection for sexual and reproductive health, non-communicable disease and mental health services, and equity floors so investment reaches the most vulnerable first. 
  2. Stronger domestic health financing: setting, publishing and tracking country-defined health spending targets, backed by progressive taxation and health taxes, action on illicit financial flows and debt resolution, and improved public financial management so resources reach frontline services.
  3. Institutionalize civil society participation in health governance and decision-making processes, including formal representation in decision-making bodies and dedicated funding for grassroots and marginalized organizations to participate effectively.
  4. Greater transparency and accountability in health financing data ahead of the 2027 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, including WHO publication of data disaggregated by gender, disability, geography, age and socioeconomic status, and Member State submission of national health accounts within 12 months of the reference year.

“Sustainable health financing must be built on three mutually reinforcing elements: strong country leadership, a more coherent and efficient global health financing architecture, and a genuine partnership with communities and civil society,” said Ambassador Patricia McCullagh, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations organizations in Geneva.

The following day, the Commission and Save the Children presented the asks at the Global Parliamentary Forum, bringing civil society priorities directly into discussions with Member State parliamentarians.

With preparations underway for the 2027 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, the Commission and its partners will continue working to advance the priorities identified through the dialogue process.

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28 July 2026 Departmental update Civil society pushes for action on health financing

Source: World Health Organisation

As global health financing pressures intensify, the focus is shifting from commitments to delivery. There is growing concern that existing pledges are not translating into tangible improvements in health systems. Civil society organizations are calling for concrete action to ensure financing results in stronger systems and better access to care.

On 15 April 2026, more than 130 participants joined the second global dialogue convened by the WHO Civil Society Commission and Save the Children to advance priorities in the lead-up to the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly.

Ravi Ram, Co-Chair of the WHO Civil Society Commission, emphasized that the dialogue series focuses on ensuring that civil society perspectives translate into implementation, with a clear objective of influencing decisions at the Health Assembly. 

Turning commitments into action

The dialogue underscored that the key challenge is no longer defining priorities but ensuring commitments are delivered in practice.

Opening the technical framing, Hélène Barroy, Senior Public Finance Expert at the World Health Organization, highlighted that improving health financing is not only about mobilizing additional resources, but also about using existing resources more effectively. As she explained, “Fiscal space is not only about introducing new taxes or raising new revenues, but also about using existing resources in the best way.”

Hélène highlighted three main ways to expand fiscal space for health: increasing overall tax revenues, reprioritizing national budgets to allocate a greater share to health, and enhancing expenditure management and efficiency.”

On budget prioritization, she emphasized that this is fundamentally a political decision, noting, “Fiscal space for health is also a political choice. Domestic leadership really matters.”

At the same time, she highlighted that inefficiencies within health spending continue to limit impact, including weak budget execution, fragmented funding, and misalignment between budgets and health priorities. Prioritizing primary health care, she noted, can help shift resources toward more cost-effective services.

At the same time, the debt crisis is placing increasing pressure on countries’ fiscal space. In many low- and middle-income countries, debt repayments now exceed government health spending, creating a structural constraint on domestic health financing.

Bridging the gap between funding and results

Participants emphasized that accountability is essential to ensure that commitments translate into real outcomes.

Country and civil society perspectives highlighted that the challenge is not only the level of financing, but inefficiencies in how resources are allocated and spent. 

Labila Sumayah Musoke, Board Member at Medicus Mundi International and the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights, Uganda, said that financing decisions must be grounded in human rights and equity, warning, “Health is not a privilege. We cannot choose who accesses health and who does not access health.”

Musoke also stressed the importance of transparency, noting, “We cannot really hold governments accountable if we do not know where the money is coming from and how it is being used.”

Hendry Peter Samky, Health Financing Expert at the Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation, said that the issue is not only how much is spent, but how well it is used, stressing, “It is not only about increasing financing, but about spending it better.” He noted that weak public financial management and fragmented financing often prevent resources from reaching frontline services

Elevating youth in health financing

Participants also highlighted the importance of inclusive governance, including meaningful youth engagement.

Balkiss Abdelmoula, Member of the WHO Youth Council and Junior Doctors Network, said that youth remain largely excluded from financing decisions, noting, “Young people… remain largely absent from national budget processes… This is not only a gap in representation, but also a challenge to effectiveness, equity and long-term sustainability.”

She stressed that youth are already active contributors: “Youth are not just beneficiaries of health systems. They are contributors, innovators, taxpayers, caregivers and future leaders.” She called for a “move from tokenism to transformation when it comes to youth engagement.”

Abdelmoula added that inclusive decision-making improves outcomes, noting, “When communities are involved in decision making, spending becomes more responsive, transparent and efficient.” She emphasized that “investing in youth health is one of the highest return investments a country can make.”

Clear priorities for action 

The dialogue converged on clear priorities to guide immediate and medium-term action. These reflect a shift from advocating for increased resources to ensuring accountability for how resources are allocated, executed and tracked. A survey was also shared with Civil Society Commission members gathering feedback to ensure that proposed recommendations reflect country and community realities.

For Member States:

  • protect essential health services and invest an additional 1% of GDP in primary health care
  • establish clear domestic spending targets and improve efficiency. 

For WHO:

  • institutionalize civil society participation 
  • strengthen data transparency and accountability mechanisms. 

These priorities informed consolidated recommendations ahead of the World Health Assembly.

From dialogue to decision at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly

The dialogue marked a clear shift from discussion to action.

The priorities identified through the consultation process were further refined through continued engagement with civil society organizations via the WHO Civil Society Commission and informed recommendations presented to WHO leadership and Member States in the lead-up to the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly.

The dialogue reinforced broad support for strengthening domestic health financing, improving efficiency and accountability, institutionalizing civil society participation, and ensuring that health financing decisions advance equity and universal health coverage. It also underscored the importance of maintaining momentum beyond the Health Assembly and building toward the 2027 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, where progress on health financing commitments is expected to be monitored and reviewed.

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28 July 2026 Departmental update Health financing under pressure as civil society calls for urgent action

Source: World Health Organisation

With global health financing under increasing strain, driven by declining donor funding and tightening national budgets, civil society organizations are warning that urgent action is needed to sustain essential health services and protect progress toward universal health coverage.

On 10 December 2025, the WHO Civil Society Commission, in partnership with Save the Children, convened the first in a series of global dialogues on health financing, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders from across regions to help shape priorities ahead of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79).

Opening the discussion, Taru Koivisto, Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland, underscored the stakes: “Health is an investment and strong public health systems are resilience investments that keep societies functioning in times of crisis.”

Reframing health as an economic priority

A central theme of the dialogue was the need to reposition health within economic decision-making.

The Economics of Health for All (EHfA) approach promotes a shift from viewing health as a cost to recognizing it as an investment that contributes to economic stability, resilience and long-term development. 

This shift has practical implications for how governments structure budgets, how finance ministries engage with health policy and how civil society advocates for accountability. As global financing conditions evolve, this is no longer aspirational; it is critical.

Anna Vassall, Unit Head, Health Financing and Economics, World Health Organization, highlighted, “Health should be seen as a core investment that drives inclusive economic development, resilience and poverty reduction.”

Participants broadly supported this direction, emphasizing that health systems are foundational to both social and economic resilience. They also stressed that integrating health into economic policy requires stronger cross-sector collaboration, particularly between the ministries of health and finance.

Strengthening sustainable and domestic financing

The current financing environment is exposing underlying vulnerabilities in health systems, particularly where financing has relied heavily on external support.

Participants emphasized that this moment presents an opportunity to strengthen sustainable, domestically anchored financing, with greater focus on long-term priorities such as prevention and primary health care.

Boniface Mbuthia, Director of Health Financing, Amref Health Africa, stated, “As external funding declines, countries must strengthen domestic revenue and prioritize investments in prevention and primary health care to sustain health systems.”

Discussions also highlighted the importance of maintaining public financing as the foundation of health systems, while improving how resources are allocated and used to maximize impact.

Youth perspective: long-term consequences

Youth have traditionally been underrepresented in health financing discussions, despite being among those most affected by long-term policy decisions. This dialogue marked an important step in addressing that gap by actively including youth perspectives.

Angela Mei Seiler Torres, InciSioN Global and WHO Youth Council Member, reinforced the importance of intergenerational equity and the need to integrate youth voices into policy and financing discussions, meaningfully stating, “Health financing decisions today will shape the systems that young people inherit tomorrow. That is why youth must be part of these discussions, not only as future leaders, but as stakeholders today.”

Ensuring meaningful youth engagement is essential to designing health systems that are equitable, responsive and sustainable over the long term.

Accountability and equity in focus

Participants emphasized that accountability is essential to ensure that financing commitments translate into tangible improvements in health outcomes. A key message was that commitments must be measurable and transparent.

Civil society organizations called for stronger accountability frameworks, including clearer domestic spending targets, improved tracking of health expenditures, and more robust oversight to ensure that resources reach underserved populations. They also stressed the importance of embedding equity and human rights considerations into financing decisions, so that limited resources are prioritized where needs are greatest.

These priorities informed the development of concrete recommendations and asks for WHO and Member States.

Setting the agenda ahead of the Health Assembly

The dialogue established a clear direction for future engagement, identifying priority areas for action, including strengthening domestic financing, improving efficiency and governance of health spending, and institutionalizing civil society participation in decision-making processes.

The second dialogue, titled “Financing Health at Home, Why Domestic Leadership Matters,” was held on 15 April 2026, building on these discussions and focusing on practical actions and the development of targeted recommendations for WHO and Member States ahead of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly.

As the series progressed toward the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, these priorities, from sustainable domestic financing and stronger accountability to meaningful civil society participation, helped shape discussions during a pivotal moment for global health financing.