20 December 2024 was a crucial moment for Luxembourg in supporting WHO and strengthening global public health, to make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in 2025–2028. A Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) with the Ministry of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs was signed amounting to €46.5 million – the largest-ever agreement WHO has had with Luxembourg. Furthermore, the first-ever multiyear agreement with the Ministry of Health and Social Safety €1 million was launched, as the country’s first voluntary contribution to WHO.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General greets with Luxembourg’s Martine Deprez, Minister of Health and Social Safety and Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Cooperation and Foreign Trade. © MAE Luxembourg

“From now till 2028, this contribution will help finance priority areas in Luxembourg’s collaboration with WHO” said Martine Deprez, Minister of Health and Social Safety during the bilateral meeting, “notably for sanitary crisis preparedness and response and the fight against health inequalities, with a special focus on gender.”

The amount of €46.5 million contains fully flexible and thematic funding, and allocations for the Universal Health Coverage Partnership, tropical disease research and polio eradication. The fully flexible funding enables WHO to allocate the money to the areas of highest need.

“By signing two new partnership agreements, we have reaffirmed Luxembourg’s continued support for the WHO and its mission,” said Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Cooperation and Foreign Trade. “This reflects our strong commitment to promoting global health and multilateralism. We launch these agreements with WHO because we believe the best way to avoid is to prevent.”

To support the achievement of WHO’s priorities, the strategic partnership framework with Luxembourg includes support for WHO’s core work to develop, deliver and implement high-quality technical products – the guidelines, norms and standards on which many countries rely.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, remarked how symbolic it was that the agreements were signed on the International Day of Solidarity. They are “a strong statement of solidarity by Luxembourg, not just with WHO, but with the people of the world”, said Dr Tedros.

Xavier Bettel, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Martine Deprez at the signing ceremony. © MAE Luxembourg

WHO and Luxembourg continue their historical strategic partnership, collaborating to fulfill a shared mission to promote, provide and protect health.

Link: WHO appreciates the signing of these milestone agreements