Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has proposed that regular assessed contributions should exceed 50 percent of the World Health Organization's total budget to ensure financial sustainability. He also recommends reprioritizing agency expenditures toward fewer, better-funded programs rather than seeking replacement funds. In addition to financial reforms, Budi pledged to advance a fully funded pandemic treaty and open diplomatic negotiations to encourage the United States to rejoin. He faces six other contenders from nations including China, Qatar, and Spain ahead of the final assembly vote in May 2027.
Key points
Increasing mandatory member contributions is critical to stabilizing the agency's finance…: Increasing mandatory member contributions is critical to stabilizing the agency's finances following the departure of the United States.
The candidate intends to advocate for a dedicatedly funded global pandemic treaty ensurin…: The candidate intends to advocate for a dedicatedly funded global pandemic treaty ensuring fair access to vaccines and treatments.
Leadership reform plans include prioritizing spending on fewer projects and addressing ne…: Leadership reform plans include prioritizing spending on fewer projects and addressing neglected crises such as Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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The World Health Organization should focus on reprioritising its spending rather than chasing replacement funding, said Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
JAKARTA: Indonesia's health minister, who is vying for the World Health Organization's top job, said on Monday (Nov 2) that he was in favour of countries paying higher mandatory contributions to offset the slash to its budget from the US withdrawal.
Budi Gunadi Sadikin told AFP the UN's health agency should focus on reprioritising its spending rather than chasing replacement funding - allocating bigger amounts for fewer projects.
"The priority is to review the functions (of the WHO), get the agreement of the countries and then ... we look for the (new) money," said the minister, who is one of seven candidates for the post of WHO director-general.
The first place to look for new funding would be from within, he said.
"Every country says the WHO needs to be sustainable. You cannot be sustainable if your membership contribution is only 20 per cent or 30 per cent (of the total budget)", Budi said.
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