Contingency fund for emergencies: 2024 annual report

Overview

The Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) enables the World Health Organization (WHO) to leverage its unique strengths in emergencies, empowering WHO to act as a first responder and provider of last resort, thus ensuring health needs are met even in the most challenging environments. With resources from the CFE available immediately, WHO can step in to provide essential health services directly in situations where local health systems are overwhelmed or not functioning. This includes deploying medical teams, setting up temporary health facilities, strengthening disease surveillance, and ensuring the delivery of medical supplies, among other critical humanitarian health priorities.

In 2024, with funding from the CFE, WHO responded with speed and effectiveness to a range of crises, from large-scale conflicts, global disease outbreaks and devastating natural disasters, to smaller health threats that nonetheless required quick action. A total of nearly US$ 52 million was released from the CFE in 2024 for 28 emergencies in 28 countries and territories, and for the global response to the cholera, dengue and mpox outbreaks.

The annual report provides an overview of the use and impact of the Fund over the previous year.