Investing in health benefits everyone
© Susanne Asheuer

Key insights from the BMZ High-Level Dialogue “The Case for Investing in Health – NOW!” with Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen

“The moment to make health a top priority is now!” – this was the key message of the High-Level Dialogue hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on February 11^th, 2025. The opening remarks by Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen and Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of global health. Participants agreed that health must remain an ongoing priority and is a worthy investment.

The event took place at a time of rapidly evolving and momentous changes affecting global health and financing – underlining Germany’s commitment to global health and the strategic importance of investing in health. 140 participants, both in-person in Berlin and virtually, discussed how to advocate for health and how countries can maintain, increase and strategically use funding amidst these challenges.

Health is important regardless of political direction or ideologies. And despite tightening budgets Germany remains committed to engaging in global health.

Niels Annen, BMZ

Five key takeaways emerged from the dialogue:

1. Health is a human right and essential for economic resilience, global security, and sustainable development

Health is a fundamental human right. The devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on economies and social security systems worldwide highlighted that health extends beyond individual well-being. Covid-19 demonstrated that delaying investments in health until a crisis arises is no longer an option. Importantly, health is the cornerstone for economic resilience, global security, and sustainable development. Prof. Andrew Ullmann, Member of the German Bundestag and Chair of its Subcommittee on Global Health, emphasised the importance of translating this message into concrete impact data to convince policy makers. Investing in health has a strong case, he said, as it generates significant economic returns, with every $1 invested in health yielding approximately $4 in returns.

Moderating the event, Katri Bertram, International Director of Impact & Advocacy at Light of the World, framed health as a fundamental right that governments and organisations should consistently advocate for, especially in times of crises. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, went further with warning that Africa faces rising health threats impacting life expectancy and economic stability. Neglecting public health and maintaining weak health systems could result in a loss of up to 10% of Gross Domestic Product.

Participants discussed various solutions, emphasizing the need for increased efforts to support domestic resource mobilization. This includes reforms to international taxation systems and the implementation of taxes on harmful substances like tobacco. These measures can reduce reliance on external funding, enhance fiscal sustainability and economic independence, and enable governments to invest more effectively in essential public services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

At the same time, participants agreed upon the need to be realistic. Amongst others, Dr. Agnès Couffinhal, Global Program Lead for Health Financing at the World Bank, spoke about the importance of optimising existing resources by campaigning for more health per dollar invested.

2. Progress towards better health for all is possible with focused investments

Significant improvements in human welfare are achievable by mid-century with focused health investments: This is the central and hopeful message of the recently launched report “Global Health 2050” by the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health. Dr. Marco Schäferhoff, Member of the Lancet Commission, demonstrated how countries can sharply reduce mortality and morbidity by 2050 by focusing investments on a set of 15 priority conditions. These comprise eight infectious and maternal conditions and seven non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.  

Translating these global insights into the national context, Prof. Dr. Hornidge, Director of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), called for Germany to reinforce its leadership in global health. She suggested that Germany should maintain strong investments in WHO, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. There should be more focus on NCDs, she suggested, which includes improving access to medicines and implementing policies such as health taxes and sustainable urban planning.

On behalf of BMZ, Director General for Global Health, Dr. Ariane Hildebrandt welcomed these recommendations, which reinforce BMZ’s current approach to global health, while also challenging the ministry to invest more strategically for greater impact.

3. Integrating health into broader policy areas is a win-win

Participants agreed that health cannot be discussed in isolation from the living environment, climate change, agriculture, food systems, and social justice. By integrating health into broader policy frameworks, we can create synergies that not only improve health outcomes but also address other critical areas such as environmental sustainability, food security, and social equity. These holistic approaches ensure that health investments contribute to broader developmental and societal goals, making them a win for all. For instance, promoting sustainable urban planning to reduce air pollution mitigates climate change, improves respiratory health, and promotes physical activity.

4. The global health architecture needs reform

The High-Level Dialogue emphasised that times of financial constraints also present an opportunity to forge stronger partnerships, create leaner structures, enhance efficiency, and accelerate adaptation.

Ricardo Leite, Founder & President, UNITE & CEO, HealthAI, called for an honest conversation about inefficiencies and bloated structures in global health. Delivering on the Lusaka agenda, which calls for closer collaboration and alignment of Global Health Initiatives to achieve health for all, is imperative, he said. Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of Health Financing and Economics at WHO, further stated that countries need to take ownership and collaborate with international financing institutions to ensure alignment between global and local funding flows.

We are faced with a Health Financing Emergency which requires national governments to prioritise health in their budgets and external funders to use their funds to catalyse more domestic investment in health so that health systems become less dependent on aid and out-of-pocket spending and countries become self-reliant.

Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou, WHO

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, underscored the importance of reducing dependency on external funding by strengthening domestic health financing. This can be achieved through co-financing, public financial management (PFM), and advocacy. He added that this is an important moment for German leadership in global health. As one of the largest donors to the Global Fund and Gavi, and a strong supporter of the Lusaka agenda, BMZ confirmed that Germany will remain an important actor in global health.

5. Health matters to everyone, everywhere

Speakers agreed that politicians who prioritise robust health systems meet the demands of their citizens. This important message was also conveyed through a video capturing the voices of beneficiaries of German development co-operation in the field of social protection in Cambodia. Since 1994, Germany has supported Cambodia’s journey towards better health for all and the expansion of social protection.

Speaker Ricardo Leite from HealthAI emphasized that health must remain a top priority, regardless of shifting political landscapes. He also highlighted the widespread lack of understanding about how global health directly impacts individual well-being. Strengthening awareness of the deep connections between health, security and resilience will be crucial in ensuring broad support for health systems from both citizens and politicians.

Both Leite and Angela Bähr, Deputy Chair, Verband Entwicklungspolitik und Humanitäre Hilfe (VENRO) & Deputy Chief Programme Officer, Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW) concluded that the cost of inaction is simply too high, and global leaders would act wisely if they responded to current health challenges with rigour and decisive measures. The most vulnerable populations in particular are in need of protection, added Bähr.

The moment to act for global health systems is now; there is an urgent call to action due to the withdraw of USAID especially from sub-Saharan countries and all HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programms

Angela Bähr, VENRO

The Case for Investing in Health – NOW!

In the midst of the current multiple crises, participants agreed that raising a voice for health is NOW more important than ever. Germany’s leadership in global health remains critical as the world faces increasing challenges in health governance and financing. The event reinforced that investing in health is a triple-win strategy – improving lives, driving economic stability and global security.

Further information :

Jessica Walker, Friederike Paul-Fariborz & Lara Müllner
April 2025