Policy Context

Ireland does not have a standalone global health strategy. Within Ireland’s A Better World development policy, Ireland does mention the country’s work in global health, but does not highlight it as a priority.

In A Better World, Ireland committed to increasing its contribution to the Global Fund by at least 50%. During the Global Fund’s seventh replenishment, funding increased by 30% for the period 2023-2025.

Irish Aid focuses its efforts in global health through several mechanisms:

• Strengthening national health systems;
• Global health initiatives, such as the Global Fund;
• Domestic health partnerships;
• Supporting health research; and
• Multilateral and UN agencies.

Global health, particularly HIV/AIDS and ending world hunger, were a priority of the Irish government during the 2000s and around the period of the millennium development goals. From 2006, the government provided EUR100 million per year to tackle HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, with a focus on the African continent. As the HIV/AIDS crisis was overtaken by other major global challenges, the prioritization of global health decreased.

ODA Spending

How much ODA does Ireland allocate to global health?

In 2021, Ireland allocated a total of US$145 million, or 13% of ODA, to global health. Ireland was ranked 17^st among DAC donors for its funding to global health, and 18^th (last) among DAC donors for its funding to global health as a percentage of total ODA.

How is Ireland's global health ODA changing?

Ireland’s ODA funding to global health increased modestly between 2018 and 2021.

How does Ireland allocate global health ODA?

In 2021, Ireland provided US$73 million, or 50% of its health ODA as bilateral funding and US$26 million, or 17%) as earmarked funding through multilaterals. US$46 million, or 32%, was core funding to multilaterals.

Multilateral Spending

Bilateral Spending

In 2021, Ireland provided US$99 million in bilateral health ODA, including bilateral and earmarked funding through multilaterals.