Smart spending to combat global health threats

Spending on health-related global public goods (GPGs) – notably on prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR), and research and development for neglected and infectious diseases – is critical in combatting global health threats. But production of these GPGs may require new and innovative sources of finance, both domestic and external, and public and private, particularly as needs grow and fiscal constraints intensify. This report, for the first time, brings together multiple data sources to examine current spending on health-related GPGs, and analyses the implications for future global health threats. Findings show that total spending on health-related GPGs doubled between 2016 and 2022. PPR accounted for the largest share of spending on health-related GPGs, but as inequalities and income disparities across countries increase, high-income countries are spending thirty times more per capita than low-income countries. While Official Development Assistance (ODA) plays an increasingly important role in supporting PPR activities for the poorest countries, it remains well below the resources needed to bridge current financing gaps. This brings to light the difficult trade-offs between support for national development priorities and the financing of global public goods.