Policy Updates

On June 2, 2026, former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was elected Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for 2026-2029.

Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said Solberg helped raise global health and sustainable development on the international agenda during her term as prime minister from 2013-2021, making her well-positioned for the role.

During Solberg’s time in office, CEPI was established to strengthen global preparedness for pandemics and provided support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to expand access to vaccines in low-income countries. Solberg also promoted international cooperation and equitable access to vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for global initiatives to improve access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatment.

On May 28, 2026, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced CAD8 million (US$5.8 million) for Ebola response operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, allocating funding to the World Health Organization, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Canadian Red Cross, and projects implemented by Oxfam-Quebec and World Vision Canada through the Humanitarian Coalition.

Sarai, joined by Minister of Health Marjorie Michel and Member of Parliament Bienvenu-Olivier Ntumba, said Canada would provide CAD3.5 million (US$2.5 million) to the World Health Organization’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support rapid response by governments and partners, and CAD2 million (US$1.5 million) to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to accelerate surveillance and strengthen biosecurity measures.

CAD1.8 million (US$1.3 million) has been allocated to the Canadian Red Cross to support local Red Cross societies to trace and prevent infection, provide health support services, and strengthen hygiene and sanitation. Through the Canadian Humanitarian Assistance Fund, Canada allocated CAD350,000 (US$254,000) to Oxfam-Quebec and CAD350,000 (US$254,000) to World Vision Canada via a project with the Humanitarian Coalition to provide assistance including clean water and sanitation, essential non-food items, and health services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Canada said it had also supported the deployment of Canadian Red Cross experts to assist operations of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the region, and that it would continue to monitor the situation with partners.

On May 27, 2026, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani directed the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allocate EUR1.15 million (US$1.3 million), signed by Deputy Minister Edmondo Cirielli, to support the immediate humanitarian response to the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with funding to be provided to Italian civil society organizations operating in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.

The funding will support interventions to halt Ebola transmission by strengthening epidemiological surveillance, local health system response capacity, and community confidence in containment measures recommended by the World Health Organization. Resources will focus on priority areas identified by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization for infection prevention and control, including epidemiological surveillance and contact tracing, immediate health relief, and community engagement.

The allocation has added to two ongoing humanitarian initiatives funded by Italian Cooperation totaling EUR5.5 million (US$6.4 million) for five civil society projects in eastern provinces, and that Italian Cooperation would also provide a direct contribution of EUR290,000 (US$336,000) to the World Health Organization’s crisis response efforts.

On May 25, 2026, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation announced EUR1.2 million (US$1.4 million) to the IFRC to support response efforts for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and other at-risk neighboring countries.

EUR500,000 (US$580,000) was allocated through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation to the federation’s regional emergency appeal to help contain the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and neighboring countries. Meanwhile, EUR700,000 (US$812,000) was provided as a contribution to the federation’s regular budget.

On May 20, 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper launched a UK-convened International Coalition to End VAWG, bringing together eight countries to scale up prevention work and strengthen action against domestic abuse, sexual violence, and online abuse.

The coalition was announced at the Global Partnerships Conference in London and aligns with the UK government’s mission to halve VAWG within a decade. Founding members include the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, Jamaica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Australia.

Coalition members will share expertise and develop national action plans to prevent violence, protect women and girls, and hold perpetrators to account. The coalition will also support efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict and other forms of violence within humanitarian crises and that the UK will convene a summit in 2027 for members to set out further commitments and report on progress.

The launch coincided with the publication of the UK’s International Strategic Framework on Women and Girls. The framework will embed women and girls’ rights across diplomacy, trade, security, and development and included a commitment that at least 90% of FCDO bilateral ODA would focus on gender equality by 2030.

On May 18, 2026 during the World Health Assembly, Norway announced NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) for WHO basic emergency care program to strengthen life-saving skills at around 1,000 hospitals in five African countries over three years.

The program was developed by Laerdal Global Health in partnership with WHO and will be implemented with national health authorities in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. The program will build basic emergency medicine skills for health personnel, with a focus on district and regional hospitals.

Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre said Norway prioritized cooperation that strengthened health systems and supported life-saving innovation. Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust said the partnership demonstrates how the UN, private actors, and governments can improve health services, noting that Norway prioritizes strengthening WHO through flexible funding and targeted partnerships.

Norway said the NOK30 million (US$3.1 million) support is additional to Norway’s NOK1 billion contribution to WHO investment round for 2025-2028, which aimed to secure more predictable and sustainable financing for the organization.

On May 15, 2026, Italy approved EUR1.7 billion (US$2.0 billion) in grants and soft loans under its 2026 development cooperation programming, including a new EUR15 million (US$17 million) emergency allocation for Lebanon.

Antonio Tajani, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, chaired the second 2026 meeting of Italy’s Joint Committee for Development Cooperation, which approved the 2026 programming package. Tajani said development cooperation was a core tool of Italy’s foreign policy and said Italy would maintain a high commitment to transparency and good governance in the use of public funds.

Tajani said the 2026 interventions aim to respond to humanitarian crises and reconstruction challenges, including in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Sudan. Tajani said the new EUR15 million (US$17 million) package for Lebanon followed EUR10 million (US$12 million) approved in April and would focus on emergency support for communities and displaced people in southern Lebanon, including agricultural recovery in collaboration with FAO, with a focus on supporting Christian communities.

The Joint Committee also approved a development package worth more than EUR250 million (US$290 million), including interventions in Ukraine and Latin America, as well as contributions to efforts against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

On May 14, 2026, the US announced an additional US$1.8 billion for OCHA’s pooled funds and hyper-prioritized humanitarian activities, bringing total US support for OCHA’s reform and life-saving assistance programs to US$3.8 billion across 21 countries.

The US said the new funding builds on a December 29, 2025 Humanitarian Reset framework agreement with OCHA, signed in Geneva, Switzerland, alongside an initial US$2 billion pledge for country-based and crisis-level pooled funds. The US and OCHA said they had operationalized the agreement by accelerating disbursements and introducing stronger oversight and accountability measures, while mobilizing support from other humanitarian donors.

The US said the initial US$2 billion contribution to OCHA-managed rapid-response pooled funds will deliver life-saving assistance to 21.1 million people in less than four months and that the additional US$1.8 billion will continue to support pooled funds in 21 countries, as well as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

OCHA said the US$1.8 billion would not be subject to the Trump administration’s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy. OCHA spokesperson Eri Kaneko said no conditions had been placed on the funds and that the UN had not compromised on the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

On May 14, 2026, German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan announced Germany’s EUR100 million (US$115 million) pledge to Education Cannot Wait to support education programs for children and young people affected by war, displacement, and disasters.

Alabali Radovan announced the pledge via video message at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. Alabali Radovan said the right to education applied in times of crisis and war and said education helped protect children and young people from exploitation and violence and supported peace and sustainable development.

On May 13, 2026, the European Commission adopted the Global Health Resilience Initiative, a strategy to scale up prevention, preparedness, and response to future health threats and to address resilience gaps in health systems.

The European Commission said the initiative sets a strategic framework for future EU action to enable faster responses to health threats and crises through a strong multilateral system and cooperation with partners. The strategy aims to reinforce EU strategic autonomy and competitiveness and to support partner countries’ transition away from aid dependence toward health sovereignty.

The initiative has five priority areas:

• Promoting a more effective and less fragmented global health architecture
• Supporting resilient and country-led health systems, with an emphasis on primary health care
• Reinforcing international prevention, preparedness, and response, including improved availability of medical countermeasures such as therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics
• Diversifying global supply chains and manufacturing of key health products
• Bolstering societal resilience by fostering trust in science and countering health dis- and misinformation.

The Commission stated the EU has already mobilized EUR6 billion (US$6.9 billion) for health investments under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe instrument and had made health a key pillar of the Global Gateway, the EU external investment arm. The initiative includes nine flagship measures at national, regional, and global levels, with implementation expected to begin in 2026-2027.