A plea to reform and finance the World Health Organization sufficiently final

A Plea to Reform and Finance the World Health Organization Sufficiently
The physician organizations signing this statement appeal to all nations to sufficiently
finance the World Health Organization in order for it to be able to do its work as the health
agency of the United Nations. Withholding funds to the WHO at the time of a pandemic is
neither helpful nor safe.
We acknowledge the work of the WHO and its leadership as a technical agency for providing
guidance, coordination and support for public health, and we underline its efforts to bring
Universal Health Coverage to all people. This is even more crucial in times of a pandemic.
However, we also appeal to all, and foremost to democratic governments, to reject any
political abuse or undue influence by governments or any other parties in the execution of
the International Health Regulations and the technical work of the WHO. We also urge the
WHO to resist any undue political influence and to concentrate on its health and scientific
mission.
This requires constant vigilance against such abuse and the swift rejection of any attempts to
exclude or prioritise individual territories in the work of the health agency. The health of all
humans requires permanent protection and vigilance against such behaviour. Structural
reform of the WHO to ensure its independence from political or ideological assaults is
therefore direly needed.
May 2020
Dr Osahon Enabulele (Coordinator)
CANMA – Coalition of African
National Medical Associations
Dr KK Aggarwal, President
CMAAO – Confederation of Medical
Associations of Asia and Oceania
Dr Lincoln Lopes Ferrera, President
CONFEMEL – Confederación
Latinoiberoamericana de Médicos
Dr Frank Ulrich Montgomery, President
CPME – Standing Committee of European Doctors
Dr Ravindra Wankhedkar, President
SAARC (South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation) Medical Association
Dr Miguel Jorge, President
WMA – World Medical Association