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Wellcome is now in official relations with the World Health Organization

Wellcome has been admitted as a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) by the WHO's Executive Board.

World Health Organization flag
Wellcome can now work with the WHO and its partners towards shared goals in a more formal capacity.
Credit: Henrik Boegh

'Official relations' means Wellcome can engage more directly with WHO processes, such as participating at sessions of its governing bodies, proposing agenda items and organising side events as a non-state actor.

Jeremy Farrar, Wellcome’s Director, says: "Improving health for everyone is something no one nation, organisation or sector can do alone. It requires strong leadership and partnership across borders and sectors. We look forward to working with WHO and all its partners in a more formal capacity towards shared goals in pressing areas such as universal health care, drug-resistant infections, climate change and health and being better prepared for inevitable epidemics."

Over the past three years, we have provided more than $8m in funding to WHO, supporting work such as:

  • the successful Ebola vaccine trials in Guinea
  • developing research ethics and governance processes
  • research into the cultural contexts of health
  • epidemic preparedness activities. 

We will be sharing details about our joint work in due course. 

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