Honourable Ministers,
Professor Senait, Vice-President of the Buffett Foundation
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
A warm welcome, and thank you for joining us today.
I thank Professor Senait and The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation for co-hosting this important discussion.
And I thank all of you – Ministers, envoys, and development partners – for your leadership and commitment to data and primary health care.
We meet at a moment of serious challenges, and real momentum.
Yesterday’s adoption of the Pandemic Agreement was a landmark moment in global health. Congratulations to all of us.
And the approval last night of the next increase in assessed contributions was a significant step towards a more sustainably-financed, empowered and independent WHO.
We need that same spirit of cooperation, the same energy, and the same commitment, to drive forward our work to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
Data and health financing are both fundamental components of that work, as two of the classic “building blocks” of health systems.
And yet in many countries, there are serious gaps in both.
An estimated 36 million births a year are not registered, and less than 40% of the world’s deaths are registered.
In Africa, only 44% of births, and 10% of deaths are registered.
If deaths are not registered, we don’t know what caused them, and investments to stop them can be misplaced.
In countries around the world - including higher income countries - out-of-pocket payments are still the main way that many people access care.
The consequences are dire, and the COVID-19 pandemic made them even worse, as we all know.
WHO’s World Health Statistics 2025 report, released last week, shows that between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years—the largest drop in recent history— reversing a decade of health gains.
Progress on reducing maternal and child deaths has largely stalled. Access to family planning is contested.
In many places, safe childbirth is a privilege—not a guarantee.
And women’s sexual and reproductive health are under assault.
Protecting women’s health is essential to protecting public health.
Sudden and steep cuts to bilateral aid have made the situation even worse, causing severe disruptions to health services on which millions rely.
We are in a health financing emergency.
Although many countries are facing serious challenges, they also see this crisis as an opportunity to leave behind the era of aid dependency and transition towards sustainable self-reliance.
That’s what many ministers have told me, especially in the last couple of months.
WHO is supporting countries to make that transition, by using a wide range of tools, including health taxes, pooled procurement and public health insurance.
We’re urging countries to prioritize health in national budgets; strengthen data systems; and expand smart financing solutions;
And we ask partners to align external financing support with country-owned systems and priorities.
The countries represented here today, on the panel and in the room, are going to share with us today some of the real progress they have made.
From expanding domestic financing to pioneering real-time data systems, many of you are advancing solutions that are scalable, sustainable and rooted in equity.
Data and sustainable financing are not just technical matters.
They are political choices. They shape who is reached, how quickly, and with what quality of care.
And they determine whether we progress, or fall behind.
The good news is: the solutions are known, the evidence is strong, and the leadership in this room is real. I have met many of the ministers many times now – in Kigali, elsewhere and here.
Today, I encourage each of you to bring forward one step your country will take this year:
One action to increase domestic financing, especially for primary health care;
One reform to reduce out-of-pocket costs;
One measurable result on maternal health, hypertension, immunization, or another national priority.
Progress is possible—if we match ambition with political will, collaboration, and accountability.
Health is not a cost to be contained. It is an investment in people, in stability and in economic growth.
I look forward to hearing your priorities and to working together to build health systems that are just, inclusive, and deliver results.
It is now my great pleasure to hand the floor to my sister, Professor Senait Fisseha—a force of nature, a tireless advocate for women and girls, and a visionary leader for equity and impact in global health.
And especially on the agenda that we’re discussing today, her passion and commitment is beyond words.
Senait, you have the floor.