WHO faces challenges in setting priorities

In this BMJ Groups Blog post, Amanda Glassman, director of Global Health Policy at the Center for Global Development, writes about the challenges the WHO faces in "[s]etting priorities and fully funding those priorities." She defines the criteria by which the WHO could outline its priorities, including by identifying "global" and "shared" concerns and adequately funding and staffing priority areas. Glassman concludes, "There is tentative movement towards limiting the number of new resolutions based on 'an assessment of their strategic value, financial and administrative implications, and reporting requirements and timelines.' That sounds very good, and would inspire more confidence if the assessment were rigorous and transparent to member states and the public. Still, the reform seems to have punted on the WHO's priority-setting problem" (5/17).