A new global analysis shows total health-related financial assistance to fight COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the first two years of the pandemic was a record $37.8 billion, which was 810% higher than the total spent on pandemic preparedness the prior two decades (2000-2019). The peer-reviewed research paper that was published today in The Lancet Global Health is from the annual Financing Global Health report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. To ensure countries are equipped to tackle the next global health threat and prevent a pandemic, maintaining adequate funds is crucial, which is challenging for the vast majority of LMICs, where substantial funding gaps persist.
Global health financing hits record high, but historical gaps persist
