Claim via Social Media
A viral video on Instagram claims, “The WHO is over 80 percent funded by private interests,” implying that corporations and non-governmental actors primarily back the World Health Organization.
Explanation
This claim is false. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) audited financial report for 2024, the organization received approximately $3.496 billion in total funding. Of this, $599 million came from assessed contributions—mandatory payments by member states. An additional $2.898 billion came from voluntary contributions, with over $1.48 billion of that total coming directly from governments.
Private sources, including nonprofits, corporations, and academic institutions, contributed approximately $806 million, or roughly 23% of the total funding. Even if accounting for an expected budget shortfall that lowers the 2024 total to $3.032 billion, private contributions still amount to just over 26%—far from the 80% claimed.
Experts confirm this. Prof. Kathryn Jacobsen of the University of Richmond explained that many contributions labeled as “private” actually include public funds funneled through hybrid organizations. For example, Rotary International, which donated $103 million to the WHO in 2024, received substantial support from the U.S. government. Similarly, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has contributed over $258 million, with funding from both governments and private philanthropy.
Prof. Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University’s WHO Collaborating Center affirmed: “That claim is utterly false. Private funding is not large and tends to be for particular interests of the donor, like polio eradication.”
Conclusion
Fact or Fiction? Fiction. Verified financial records show the WHO receives less than 25% of its funding from private sources, not 80% as claimed.
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Last Updated on June 22, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check