Last week, the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, in collaboration with the WHO Health Financing and Economics Department, brought together senior national policymakers and development partners to address the urgent challenge of sustaining health coverage in the face of declining health aid.
The discussions highlighted how countries are responding to the withdrawal and pauses in external funding—by prioritising resources, mobilising domestic funding, and adapting policies to maintain essential health services. While some nations have successfully reallocated resources to fill immediate gaps, others face difficulties, such as raising taxes to support healthcare needs. Some countries see this as an opportunity to strengthen public health systems by integrating skilled professionals previously employed by development partners into the national workforce.
Participants examined trends in global and domestic health financing and explored the data, analytics, and policy support needed to navigate these shifts. A key outcome was the establishment of a forward-looking analytical and research agenda designed to inform both immediate and long-term responses. This agenda will support country-level adaptations, contribute to structural reforms, and enhance global health financing resilience.
The Alliance and WHO’s Health Financing and Economics Department will now work to advance these efforts, ensuring that research and evidence generated from these discussions translate into concrete policy actions for stronger, more adaptive health financing systems worldwide.
