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WHO chief says too little funding is allocated to healthcare compared to defense spending

Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

12 March 2026 11:44 (UTC +04:00)

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the 13th Global Baku Forum, Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that far less funding is allocated to healthcare compared to defense spending, APA reports.

“Although pandemics can take the lives of millions and shatter economies, our world still invests too little in defending against viruses, while we see trillions of dollars spent against one another. COVID-19 showed that in a globalized world, health security is national security. Viruses do not require visas, pathogens do not respect borders, and misinformation spreads faster than diplomacy. Health security serves as a bridge for security, development, equality, and trust. It transcends borders, ideologies, economies, ethnicities, religions, and all the excuses we find to divide ourselves. In a divided world, health is one of the areas where countries can and must work together. That is why the WHO was founded 78 years ago,” the WHO chief said.

Ramiz Mikayıloğlu

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