Context

WHO, the WHO Foundation, and Myriad Canada are working together on this project.

The World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, leads global efforts to coordinate international public health, respond to health emergencies, and promote well-being for all. As the lead agency of the global Health Cluster, WHO coordinates more than 900 partners to ensure that expertise, resources, and medical supplies reach communities in crisis quickly and efficiently.

In 2024, WHO and its partners responded to over 45 health emergencies across 87 countries, providing lifesaving care in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Through its health emergency programme, WHO delivers essential services, from trauma and surgical kits to mental health care, maternal health support, rehabilitation supplies, emergency evacuations, and mobile clinics. That same year, Health Cluster partners provided urgent care to 106.4 million people, deployed 7,565 mobile clinics, and facilitated more than 2.5 million consultations through international emergency medical teams.

Despite global progress, major funding gaps persist while infectious outbreaks, non-communicable diseases, and climate-related health crises continue to rise. More than 400 million people still lack access to essential health services, underscoring the ongoing need for a strong, well-supported WHO.

The WHO Foundation (WHOF) brings a unique value-added approach as the sole entity dedicated to mobilizing resources for the World Health Organization (WHO). Acting both as a connector between funders and implementers and as a convener of partners across sectors and regions, WHOF also directly strengthens WHO’s life-saving emergency work. Working closely with WHO, WHOF helps ensure rapid and coordinated responses to crises worldwide. Together, WHOF and WHO turn donor contributions into tangible impact, ensuring that essential healthcare, medicines, and emergency supplies reach the people who need them most.

Myriad Canada’s role is to carry out charitable activities across the globe in accordance with its charitable purposes. We control and monitor the use of funds and the progress of charitable activities to ensure that donations made to Myriad Canada have the greatest impact in accordance with donors’ expressed wishes. As a member of the Myriad Alliance with offices in Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and Australia, Myriad Canada has a vast international network and extensive practical expertise.