Finland to increase funding for WHO

The government on Wednesday decided to increase its funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) by restoring it to the 2015 level, which was 5.5 million euros, said an official press release.

The WHO is leading the global efforts to prepare for and respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finland is vice-chair of the WHO Executive Board and supports a strong WHO.

Last year, Finland’s basic contribution to the WHO was EUR 1.9 million and it also provided EUR 0.75 million in programme support.

In addition, Finland made other membership-based contributions to the WHO bodies totalling EUR 0.9 million. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for Finland’s contributions.

This year, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has also granted EUR one million in funding to the WHO’s COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on Wednesday said the decision by the United States to suspend its funding to the WHO is “a major setback,” the news agency Xinhua reported quoting the news agency STT.

Talking to the news agency STT, Haavisto said “the work of the WHO is needed especially these days for overcoming the coronavirus.”

US President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding for the WHO, which he accused of “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”