Geneva, 16 January 2025 — The World Health Organization launched its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal on 16 January, calling for US$1.5 billion to support life-saving health interventions for 305 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance worldwide. The appeal outlines the critical priorities and resources needed to address 42 ongoing health emergencies, including 17 Grade 3 crises — the most severe classification requiring the highest level of organizational response.
The launch comes at a time when conflict, climate change, disease outbreaks, and forced displacement have converged to create what WHO describes as an unparalleled global health crisis. Health systems in multiple regions are stretched to their limits, while global financial resources for humanitarian action continue to dwindle.
The Scale of the Crisis
The US$1.5 billion appeal is designed to fund WHO's emergency operations across 42 active health emergencies spanning every inhabited continent. The 17 Grade 3 emergencies — the highest severity level in WHO's grading system — represent crises where the organization must mount its most intensive response. These include protracted conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, and Ukraine, alongside major disease outbreaks and climate-related disasters.
The appeal also highlighted the increasing pressure on health systems, noting that 2024 saw over 1,500 attacks on health care facilities across 15 countries, severely hampering the ability to deliver care in some of the world's most fragile settings.
Four Converging Challenges
The appeal details four key challenges driving the current crisis:
| Challenge | Impact |
|---|---|
| Climate change | Extreme weather events displacing populations and damaging health infrastructure |
| Conflict | Direct attacks on health facilities and personnel, disrupting care delivery |
| Displacement | Mass movement of people straining host community health systems |
| Disease outbreaks | Cholera, measles, and other epidemics spreading in crowded, underserved settings |
These factors are no longer isolated or occasional, according to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Conflicts, outbreaks, climate-related disasters and other health emergencies are no longer isolated or occasional — they are relentless, overlapping and intensifying," he said at the launch.
What the Funding Supports
The US$1.5 billion appeal is designated for a range of critical health services:
- Essential emergency medical care and supplies — delivering life-saving interventions in conflict zones and disaster-affected areas
- Vaccination campaigns — preventing disease outbreaks such as cholera and measles in displaced and vulnerable populations
- Malnutrition treatment and maternal-child health — addressing the compounded effects of food insecurity on pregnant women and children
- Mental health and psychosocial support — providing care for populations impacted by trauma in conflict-affected zones
- Health system strengthening — supporting disease surveillance and local health infrastructure in fragile settings
A Coordinated Response
WHO's emergency response is aligned with wider humanitarian efforts led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and partner organizations. The organization prioritizes providing essential care and medical supplies while upholding the principles of international humanitarian law, ensuring that no one is left behind even in the most challenging circumstances.
The appeal serves as a strategic framework for WHO's emergency operations throughout 2025, directing resources toward high-impact services in the world's most fragile settings. Priority countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, and Ukraine — each facing Grade 3 emergencies with complex, multi-layered health needs.
The Funding Gap
The launch of the 2025 appeal comes against a backdrop of widening gaps between humanitarian needs and available resources. Global humanitarian funding has faced significant pressures, with multiple donor countries adjusting their foreign aid budgets. The WHO appeal represents not only a financial request but a call to action for the international community to maintain its commitment to global health solidarity.
Dr Tedros emphasized that the appeal goes beyond funding to represent a broader commitment: "From controlling cholera outbreaks to providing mental health support in conflict zones, WHO's work extends beyond the immediate care we provide. We empower communities to protect themselves, prioritize equity, and build a legacy of preparedness. This appeal is about enabling WHO to save lives, protect the right to health, and provide hope where there is none."
Context and Significance
The 2025 appeal represents one of the largest single-year health emergency funding requests in WHO's history. The figure of 305 million people in need reflects a steady upward trend in humanitarian requirements, driven by the increasing frequency and severity of conflicts, climate-related disasters, and disease outbreaks. The convergence of these factors has created what humanitarian agencies describe as a polycrisis — multiple overlapping emergencies that strain response capacity simultaneously.
For the global health community, the appeal underscores the urgent need for sustained investment in emergency preparedness and response capacity, even as attention to specific crises may wane in public discourse. The 42 emergencies covered by the appeal include both high-profile conflicts and lesser-reported crises that nonetheless demand significant health interventions.
Sources
- WHO News Release, "WHO launches US$ 1.5 billion Health Emergency Appeal to tackle unprecedented global health crises," 16 January 2025 —
- WHO Health Emergency Appeal 2025 —
- UN News, "WHO launches $1.5 billion health emergency appeal for 2025," 16 January 2025 —
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Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
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