The United States, through USAID, announced it provided an additional $26.7 million to the Global Financing Facility (GFF) in a continued push to support health workers and advance primary health care. The announcement will be highlighted on the sidelines of next week's GFF 19th Investors' Group meeting and Trust Fund Committee meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. This funding will strengthen country and global efforts to increase access to resilient, responsive, and sustainable primary health care and health workforces.
With these newly-announced funds, USAID has provided more than $30 million to the GFF since 2023, securing a seat on the GFF Trust Fund Committee. This position enables USAID to contribute to the GFF's strategic priorities and participate in the oversight and approval of grants. To date, the GFF has committed more than $1.4 billion from its Multi-Donor Trust Fund, linked to over $11 billion in World Bank financing.
The GFF is a multi-stakeholder global partnership that currently supports 36 low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America with the highest maternal, newborn, and child mortality burdens and significant gaps in financing. By working closely with partner country governments and the World Bank, the GFF incentivizes national investment in primary health system capacity to improve the health of women, children, and adolescents. To date, every one dollar of GFF grant financing has brought in an additional seven dollars in the World Bank Group funds for country health investments. A key component of the GFF is also providing technical assistance and financing to develop national strategies to improve the health of women, children, and adolescents.
This partnership between USAID and the GFF will enhance governments' capacity to leverage support across partners, align investments around national priorities, and strengthen primary health care. Countries with health systems anchored in a strong health workforce are proven to deliver better results, expand service coverage, and lower maternal and child mortality from a variety of causes. By partnering with the GFF, USAID is working with country partners to strengthen health systems to effectively reduce inequities in life expectancy and build resilience against health threats.
