COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund

COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO

Frequently Asked Questions

WHERE DID THE FUNDS GO?

The funds have been used by the World Health Organization and its partners to support countries according to the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. As outlined in the plan, the financial resources raised went to the areas with the greatest need. Allocations from the Fund were decided by WHO.

HOW WERE THE FUNDS USED?

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund supported WHO and partners’ work to ensure all countries were able to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19. This work was guided by the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which highlights ten priority areas of need:

  • Coordination, planning, financing and monitoring
  • Risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management
  • Surveillance, outbreak investigation and calibration of public health and social measures
  • Points of entry, international travel and transport, and mass gatherings
  • Laboratories and diagnostics
  • Infection prevention and control and protecting the health workforce
  • Case management, clinical operations and therapeutics
  • Operational support and logistics
  • Strengthening essential health services and systems
  • Covid-19 vaccination

Donations to the Fund have enabled WHO and partners to:

  • Support countries in the preparation and roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination campaigns and ensure the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. A special focus was given to support the most vulnerable populations in humanitarian contexts
  • Strengthen surveillance systems to better identify the source of infection and suppress transmission
  • Establish and reinforce infection prevention measures and risk communication at national and subnational levels, including a special attention for points of entry, travels and mass gatherings
  • Ensure that healthcare workers have had the equipment and essential supplies (Personal Protective Equipment – PPE, Oxygen) they need, as well as the most up to date guidance on clinical care and tools
  • Accelerate global research and development efforts for effective treatments
  • Mobilize youth and engage civil society organizations, and enhance transparent communication so that communities have had access to the best information to protect themselves.

 

Over the last year, donations to the Fund helped WHO to send hundreds of millions of pieces of personal protective equipment and testing kits to more than 165 countries all over the world; develop accurate informational tools in more than 45 languages, and training courses for nearly five million health workers around the world.

At WHO’s request, the Fund also disbursed money to:

AFRICAN UNION/AFRICAN CDC to strengthen the continent’s response to the pandemic, including minimizing the spread of infection, curtailing the impact of COVID-19 on economies and livelihoods, and ensuring schools are reopened and managed safely.

The Big 6 Youth Organizations, to alleviate the pandemic’s negative impact on youth development and reinforce positive contributions of young people in response to the pandemic.

CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a key partner leading the financing for research and development for novel vaccines to combat COVID-19, working closely with WHO.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support internally displaced people and refugees around the world who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, to ensure children and families around the world are equipped with all the evidence-based information and latest WHO guidance as well as locally relevant information to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19; to support vulnerable countries by providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene, and basic infection prevention and control measures; and to provide access to care for vulnerable families and children.

UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19 for refugee populations in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.

WFP, the World Food Programme, to support global logistics services to get vital staff and supplies like personal protective equipment to countries with the greatest need.

To learn more about the impact donations have had, please visit our Impact Page.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF EACH DONATION HAS GONE TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION?

Roughly 95% of donations made to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund went directly to WHO or partners for response efforts, with 5% used by the WHO Foundation or associated fiduciary partners to cover the costs of transactions.

I’VE SEEN OTHER COUNTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS DONATING TO EFFORTS. HOW IS THIS FUND DIFFERENT?

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund was the foremost way for individual donors and other charitable givers to contribute directly to WHO’s global public health response efforts. Funds donated directly supported WHO’s work, together with partners, in leading and coordinating the global response, by helping countries and communities with the greatest need to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic. Donations to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund enabled funding to get to where it was most needed.

Many funding announcements have already been made, underlining that people and organizations everywhere are eager to help solve this shared global problem. Many governments, philanthropies, private sector partners, and the UN have made essential funding announcements to support national or local response efforts within a country.

Other important commitments, such as from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, are bolstering economic resilience and recovery in addition to some elements of public health response. Essential donations have also been made to support research and development efforts for therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines.

WHAT KIND OF OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY DOES WHO HAVE FOR THOSE FUNDS THAT IT DISBURSES TO COUNTRY PARTNERS?

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund reports on how the donated funds are used. Please visit our Impact Page for the latest monthly report. WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UNRWA, Big 6 Youth Organizations, and CEPI have publicly shared on their websites how much money has been donated to support the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan and how these funds in their entirety are being spent so that the public can understand how these funds are helping with response efforts.

For all science-related questions about COVID-19, please visit WHO’s COVID-19 resources.

 

CAN I STILL DONATE TO SUPPORT WHO's COVID-19 RESPONSE EFFORT?

Yes, the WHO Foundation is accepting donations from individuals, corporates, foundations, and other organizations to support the work for the WHO and its partners to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

To donate, click here.

Contact us to find out how you can engage in this work. Please visit: who.foundation