Alarm as WHO accepts increasing amount of dark money from corporate donors : Shared by Tom McDermott

As international agencies lose government funding in the face of rising needs and costs, will more agencies face issues of corporate influence?  Could UNICEF?   Tom

T Perkins · The Guardian

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Summary
A new report reveals that the World Health Organization Foundation has increasingly relied on corporate “dark money” donations since its launch in 2020, raising concerns about transparency and undue influence.

By 2023, 80% of its $83 million in corporate donations came from anonymous sources, compared to just 15% in its first year. While the WHO says such funds represent only about 1% of its total annual budget, advocates warn that the trend threatens credibility and public trust, especially as corporate donors may seek to influence public health policies.

Quotes

• “This analysis finds that current levels of donor transparency are low, potentially exposing the WHO to risks of perceived reputational damage or undue influence,” the report’s authors wrote.

• “The most troubling part of the problem is that the capacity of WHO to do its jobs depends on having the trust of people and public health community, and if they are not disclosing where their money is coming from, then they’re risking their biggest asset,” said Nick Freudenberg, professor at City University of New York.

• “The important questions are: what influence do the dark-money donors have at the WHO? And what is the foundation trying to hide?” said Gary Ruskin, director of US Right To Know.