Policy Updates

On March 27, 2026, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced CAD200 million (US$144 million) in renewed funding for Grand Challenges Canada to advance global health innovation.

Sarai made the announcement during a visit to KA Imaging, a Grand Challenges Canada-supported company based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The renewed investment will support innovators in developing, testing, and scaling technology to improve health outcomes at low cost in high-poverty communities, while creating jobs and expanding into global markets.

The funding will also advance Grand Challenges Canada's collaboration with the Global Fund to increase the uptake of health innovations globally. Canada stated that the investment aims to deliver measurable impact, including better health outcomes for women, children, and vulnerable communities in high-poverty countries, as well as strengthened global health security.

The UK government has announced the closure of the GHWP, a health workforce development initiative operating in six African countries, citing ODA budget cuts.

The FCDO confirmed the GHWP would close at the end of March 2026. The programme supported healthcare staff development and training in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Somaliland, and had operated in various iterations since 2008. The current three-year contract had previously been expected to be renewed.

The closure followed the Labour government's 2025 decision to reduce ODA to fund increased military spending, following an earlier cut under Boris Johnson's government. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for FCDO Chris Elmore stated that the government would continue to support countries in building resilient health systems and was working to ensure the sustainability of projects beyond the programme's closure.

Ben Simms, CEO of Global Health Partnerships, which ran the programme, warned that the UK risked ceding ground in global health that would be difficult to recover.

On March 9, 2026, the US State Department launched a US$4.5 billion funding platform for global health projects, inviting international NGOs, local NGOs, faith-based organizations, companies, universities, and government entities to apply for up to 100 awards ranging from US$500,000 to US$250 million over five years to complement bilateral health agreements.

The State Department created the platform to support projects that complement, extend, or fill gaps in the implementation of bilateral health agreements signed under the Trump administration's "America First" global health strategy. The platform will cover two initial priority areas: child development, care, and protection and rapid outbreak response. The child development, care, and protection priority offers up to five grants for up to five years with US$53 million in anticipated funding to address needs of children vulnerable to violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. The rapid outbreak response priority offers up to 10 awards for up to five years with US$290 million in funding to support countries with comprehensive responses to infectious disease outbreaks, prioritizing detection within seven days and rapid containment.

The program statement notes that no money can be made available to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, which supports Palestinians, and it prohibits funding that “Encourage Mass-Migration Caravans towards the United States Southwest Border.”

Dr. Jirair Ratevosian, senior global health security expert at Duke University Global Health Institute, noted that the approach allowed the US to encourage ideas from the field and adapt quickly to emerging health threats, while also building a portfolio of investments rather than a single, large program.

On March 8, 2026, International Women's Day, Sweden announced more than SEK71 million (US$8 million) to support women's and girls' resilience in Ukraine through UNFPA and UN Women, with Minister for International Development Cooperation and Trade Benjamin Dousa and Minister for Gender Equality Nina Larsson leading the announcement.

The support will contribute to psychosocial support for women and girls, improved maternal care, and protection for women's sexual and reproductive health and rights. Dousa emphasized Ukrainian women's role as the backbone of the country's civilian resilience since Russia's full-scale invasion, while Larsson stated that gender equality is a matter of defense and security and that supporting Ukrainian women is a moral imperative.

On January 7, 2026, US President Donald Trump ordered the US to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 UN entities, cutting funding to organizations deemed contrary to US interests and alarming allies concerned about Washington's retreat from multilateralism.

Trump signed a presidential memorandum instructing all US government agencies and departments to cease participating in and funding 35 non- UN organizations and 31 UN entities. The White House stated the withdrawals would end US taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities. The list of affected entities included:

• ECW;
• the IDLO;
• UNFPA;
• UNFCCC;
• IPCC;
• UNDESA;
• UNDEF; and
• UNCTAD.

The decision made no reference to major UN humanitarian agencies, including the IOM, the WFP, UN Human Rights, or UNICEF, though all faced severe US budget cuts during the past year. The announcement followed a February 4, 2025 presidential order directing a review of all international intergovernmental organizations.

On November 27, 2025, Australia announced AUD48 million (US$32 million) to support Pacific Island countries in managing increasing HIV infections through technical assistance, disease surveillance, and co-investment in national public health responses.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy, and Minister for International Development Anne Aly jointly announced the program ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1. The officials stated that rising rates of HIV and co-infections like tuberculosis are placing increased pressure on Pacific health systems, societies, and economies, and they reaffirmed Australia's support to ending the global AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The funding will assist Pacific governments to contain the spread of HIV by sharing Australian knowledge and expertise and investing in community-led responses. The announcement complemented broader and longstanding Australian support to strengthen national health systems in the region and beyond.

The program will focus on partnering with Pacific countries to reduce HIV transmission and support people living with HIV. Australia has committed to co-investing with Pacific partners to strengthen nationally led HIV responses and advance resilient health systems capable of responding effectively to HIV.

On November 25, 2025, the US State Department approved a grant of up to US$150 million over three years to Zipline International Inc., an American robotics and autonomous drone delivery company, to expand healthcare operations in Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Côte d'Ivoire, potentially reaching 15,000 health facilities and providing 100 million people with access to blood and medications.

The grant marked one of the first major US global health funding announcements since the Trump administration's foreign assistance freeze, dismantling of USAID, and release of its 'America First' global health strategy. US Undersecretary of State for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin characterized the partnership as an example of innovative, results-driven partnership at the core of the America First foreign assistance agenda.

The funding was structured on a pay-for-performance basis, with initial payments unlocked when participating governments signed contracts committing to pay for ongoing logistics services. The five governments committed to pay up to US$400 million in utilization fees. Rwanda, where Zipline began operations in 2016, is expected to be the first to sign.

On November 21, 2025, the US pledged US$4.6 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for 2026-2029 at the 8^th Replenishment pledging event in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Global Fund reached US$11.3 billion of its US$18 billion target, with the US maintaining its matching pledge ratio requiring the Global Fund to secure US$2 from other donors for every US$1 contributed.

The pledge represented a modest decline from the US$6 billion the US committed in the previous funding cycle. Undersecretary of State for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin announced the pledge in a video message, noting the reduction was to account for needed reforms and efficiencies. Lewin praised Executive Director Peter Sands' leadership and the organization's track record, stating the Global Fund would play a role in America's new vision for global health engagement.

The pledge came amid uncertainty about whether the US would contribute at all, following the Trump administration's dismantling of the country's foreign assistance infrastructure and withdrawal from many multilateral commitments.

On November 21, 2025The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion) to the Global Fund on November 11, 2025, ahead of the 8^th replenishment summit on November 21, 2025, representing a 15% reduction from the UK's previous GBP1 billion (US$1.3 billion) pledge in 2022.

The UK will co-host the Global Fund's 8^th replenishment summit with South Africa on November 21, 2025. The pledge marked the first time in Global Fund history that a host country reduced its contribution.

Chair of the International Development Committee Sarah Champion expressed disappointment with the GBP150 million (US$197 million) reduction. Champion stated that reducing the UK's commitment was short-sighted and risked undermining the UK's reputation as a global health leader. Champion noted that cuts of this scale would have real impact and result in avoidable harm, urging ministers to take seriously the commitments the UK makes to vulnerable populations.