Health Cannot Depend on Aid: Seville Hosts a Key Debate Driven by ISGlobal

As part of the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development, ISGlobal co-organised the special event “Health financing for a safe and sustainable economy: towards a Sevilla health financing agenda for action”, alongside UNAIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Spain, and in collaboration with key partners including GAVI, the Global Fund, the OECD, and the Africa CDC.

Over more than two hours, political leaders, heads of multilateral institutions, academics, and civil society representatives explored solutions to the structural deficit in global health financing, exacerbated by the pandemic, rising debt in the Global South, and declining international cooperation.

A call to transform the global financial system

“Health is a right, but also an economic driver,” said Spain’s Minister of Health, Mónica García, in her opening remarks. She called for strengthening multilateralism, increasing global health financing, and enabling the WHO to fully exercise its normative role in collaboration with regional health institutions. 

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called for a bold transformation of the current system, which he described as overly reliant on aid. “Countries must own their health systems,” he stressed, proposing mechanisms such as taxes on harmful products to generate sustainable domestic resources.

From an economic standpoint, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz denounced the “systemic failures” of global financial systems that divert resources away from health and education. Mariana Mazzucato emphasised the need to strengthen public institutions and prioritise people over financial gaps.

Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank, stressed that countries in the Global South must be at the centre of their development and that partnerships should build their strategic capacities, including vaccine manufacturing.

Innovative solutions and leadership from the Global South

Panel discussions highlighted innovative strategies such as boosting local pharmaceutical production in Africa, the role of development banks, blended financing, and the urgent need to prioritise the most vulnerable populations. “Lack of funding in the fight against HIV is deadly,” warned UNAIDS Director Winnie Byanyima, pointing to the recent withdrawal of support from key international donors.

From GAVI, Executive Director Sania Nishtar emphasised that “it’s not only about more funding but also about designing innovative instruments and effective partnerships that improve people’s lives.” She defended sustainable immunisation financing models that combine public investment, private partnerships and community engagement.

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, reminded participants that achieving health system self-reliance is a long journey and that, in the meantime, international aid must be used effectively and equitably. The OECD warned of a sharp decline in health funding, especially across Africa.

One of the panel discussions was moderated by Quique Bassat, Director General of ISGlobal, who led a debate on diversified financing frameworks and the key role of science and research in shaping future health systems.

The event concluded with remarks by Spain’s Foreign Affairs Minister, José Manuel Albares, who announced a new national commitment for global health funding and reiterated the need for a renewed multilateral framework. “Investing in health is not only fair, it’s also smart,” he concluded.