Funding the Future: Effective Financing Models to Advance Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health in Times of Crisis

We are at a critical juncture where substantial cuts to official development assistance (ODA) gravely imperil the future of global health. In an era marked by threats to multilateralism and international cooperation, the most vulnerable populations—particularly women and children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs)—disproportionately bear the burden. Evidence demonstrates that reductions in ODA and development assistance for health (DAH), often resulting from aid sanctions, lead to increased child and maternal mortality, inadvertently compounding human suffering. Urgent concerns are mounting that unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030. 

To safeguard the future of women, child, and adolescent health and to significantly reduce preventable maternal and newborn mortality, robust strategies are imperative. This necessitates a rigorous assessment of existing budgets and focused prioritisation of key areas to ensure the most effective use of resources. Furthermore, we must champion increased integration of resources, services, and budgets across the entire life course—a consistently proven cost-effective approach to women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. For these strategies to really work, they must align with each country's specific needs and move away from relying on official development assistance (ODA) towards strengthening domestic resource mobilisation. Innovative financing mechanisms, like partnerships between different sectors, and between public, private, and philanthropic organizations, can also unlock new funds for WCAH and overall well-being.