Minister Richmond announces funding support for the World Health Organisation

Ireland will provide a package of €6.5 million to the World Health Organisation in 2025, which will include support for survivors of last week’s earthquake in Myanmar and a dedicated fund of €1 million to tackle the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Uganda, Minister for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond has announced.

Ebola cases have been reported in Uganda, including the capital, Kampala. Working with Uganda’s Ministry for Health, the WHO is supporting disease surveillance, infection prevention and control measures, and the treatment of patients in isolation centres. The WHO is also working on a ground-breaking clinical efficacy trial for a potential vaccine against the virus. The package of €1 million from Irish Aid announced today will support these measures.

Today’s announcement will also support the WHO’s efforts to contain disease outbreaks in the immediate aftermath of humanitarian disasters, as well as tackling health risks associated with climate change.

Minister Neale Richmond said:

“Ireland is firmly committed to supporting the World Health Organisation’s efforts to tackle disease and provide healthcare in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Supporting the World Health Organisation makes the world a healthier and safer place for everyone.

“The COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder about our shared vulnerability to disease outbreaks and our shared responsibility to contain and tackle them. Today’s funding package will support measures to tackle the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. The Government of Uganda is to be commended for its pro-active response to the containment of this new Ebola outbreak which comes on top of an outbreak of cholera, and a recent sharp increase in the number of mpox cases.

“Ireland’s support for the World Health Organisation will also assist with the provision of much-needed trauma care for survivors of other humanitarian crises, including those affected by last week’s awful earthquake in Myanmar. Ireland has already provided €6 million in direct humanitarian aid in response to that tragedy.

“Ireland is proud to support the work of the World Health Organisation around the world. Today’s funding package underlines our commitment to working with multilateral partners to create a better world for us all.”

Today’s funding package of €6.5 million includes €1 million to support the Ebola response in Uganda. An outbreak of Sudan virus disease (SVD), a variant of Ebola virus, was declared in Uganda on 30 January 2025. As of 20 March 2025, 14 cases including four deaths have been reported.

It includes a further €2 million for the WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies, a mechanism that facilitates rapid action to contain new disease outbreaks or provide urgent care in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Ireland is currently the third largest donor to this Fund which provided resources to 28 different health emergencies in 2024 and five new crises so far in 2025 year. Urgent actions this year include trauma-care following escalated hostilities in Yemen, the containment of Marburg virus disease in Tanzania, and a cholera response in Angola.

€1.5 million of today’s funding package will help WHO to tackle health risks associated with a rapidly changing climate. This includes measures to ensure health services are adapted to deal with changing health needs arising from air pollution or more frequent disease outbreaks, while health infrastructure and supply chains are future-proofed against rising temperatures and water and energy shortages.

A further €2 million will be provided to support the WHO’s general programme of work, the goal of which is to save approximately 10 million lives a year through a combination of health provision, health promotion, and health protection measures globally.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the United Nations’ specialist agency for global health. In 2024, Ireland announced a pledge of €30 million in financing for the WHO for the 2025-2028 period. That commitment includes contributions from the Department of Health, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth.