Luxembourg Cooperation and humanitarian action minister Franz Fayot is pictured, bottom right, speaking via video conference with WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 18 June Luxembourg Government

Luxembourg Cooperation and humanitarian action minister Franz Fayot is pictured, bottom right, speaking via video conference with WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 18 June Luxembourg Government

Cooperation and humanitarian action minister Franz Fayot (LSAP) co-signed the four-year funding agreement with WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus via video conference on Thursday.

“The partnership with Luxembourg is very special and we are very grateful for the multi-annual and flexible funding we are granted,” Ghebreyesus said.

According to a government statement issued on Friday, the commitment gives WHO greater flexibility over how it spends contributions, particularly in relation to strengthening health systems and increase access to quality care.

Fayot said “the aim is to align our strategic axes and, consequently, to maximise the impact on the ground, particularly in the priority partner countries of Luxembourg's cooperation, which are mainly located in Africa.”

US$ 18.8 million

The WHO brings together 194 countries to help ensure better health for everyone, everywhere. Among other things, during the pandemic it was responsible for providing guidance to members on how to respond to covid-19.

According to the WHO website, Luxembourg is among its top 10 core voluntary donors, helping fill critical gaps in funding and allowing the WHO to act quickly by allocating funds when and where they are needed.

“Comparing Luxembourg’s relative voluntary contributions with other top flexible donors, Luxembourg ranks 1st, showcasing Luxembourg’s strong commitment to collaborating with WHO and help achieve the health-related SDG targets,” it wrote.

The government did not outline the amount of donations it had committed to. However, the WHO reports on its website that from 2016-2017 Luxembourg gave over US$ 18.8 million in voluntary contributions.