Skip to main content
School of Politics and International Relations

Undue influence? Anonymous donations to World Health Organization's new foundation raise concerns

Published:

Nearly 40% of the money raised by the WHO Foundation in its first two years came from anonymous sources, worrying some that donors may be trying to influence the World Health Organization and its role in shaping global health policy with their gifts.

Some global health practitioners worry anonymous donations make it harder to spot potential conflicts of interest. They say companies may donate to the WHO's global health policies and reports that often have wide-ranging ramifications.

In response to the anonymous donations, which include a single anonymous gift of $20 million to the foundation’s operating expenses, Sophie Harman, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London said: “For the integrity of the WHO, I think it’s really important that there’s some greater transparency around this."

The Independent, Washington Post, ABC News

 

 

Back to top