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Dr Gevorg Tamamyan, Candidate for WHO Director-General, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at Yerevan State Medical University and Editor-in-Chief of OncoDaily, presents a roadmap for strengthening WHO’s funding.
“Financing WHO – Mechanism 1: Make the WHO Foundation one of the world’s strongest foundations
Many ask how we will fix WHO’s financing crisis. There are several ways we will work towards this; this is one of the mechanisms.
There are more than 50 million millionaires in the world, and billions more who care about their health and the health of their children. Ten million people giving $100 a year would generate $1 billion. If the organization that protects the health of every person on Earth cannot persuade ten million of them to give $100 a year, the failure is ours: we have not made WHO’s impact visible, earned the public’s trust, or made giving simple.
When we founded City of Smile in Armenia, critics said a small country could never sustain cancer care for its children through public giving. For almost a decade already, it has financed diagnosis and treatment for every child and young person with cancer in Armenia up to the age of 25. ALSAC raised more than $2.5 billion for St. Jude in 2024.
The WHO Foundation reports approximately $215 million mobilized during its first five years, from 84 major donors. That is a foundation to build on. The next step is to develop a much broader community of people who support WHO regularly.
Working with the Foundation’s Board and Member States, we will pursue a staged roadmap for annual fundraising, with a clear priority: flexible, unearmarked support for WHO’s base budget.
Phase 1 – by 2032: reach at least $215 million in annual gross fundraising, supported by around two million regular donors alongside major philanthropic gifts.
Phase 2 – by 2037: reach $1 billion in annual gross fundraising – the equivalent of ten million people contributing $100 a year, less than $9 a month – with annual milestones published from the first year.
How? By investing in experienced fundraising teams, making monthly giving accessible in local currencies, building partnerships that reach millions of people, and showing donors what their support makes possible.
This funding will work alongside, never instead of, Member States’ assessed contributions. We will seek to expand public giving and build partnerships with national charities, around a shared commitment to health across borders.
Public trust must guide how this grows:
Protecting WHO’s independence: maintain the Foundation’s existing exclusion of tobacco and arms, extend it to companies whose products harm people’s lives, on a list adopted and reviewed by the Executive Board.
Transparent giving: make public disclosure a condition of accepting any contribution above $25,000, with the donor’s name and contribution published within 30 days.
Accountability for results: publish annual fundraising and administration costs, donor acquisition and retention figures, and the net unrestricted funds transferred to WHO.
I have seen what happens when people come together around a mission they believe in. I believe we can build that community for WHO.”
About Dr Gevorg Tamamyan
Dr Gevorg Tamamyan, MD, MSc, PhD, DSc, FASCO, is a prospective candidate for the post of Director-General of the World Health Organization, nominated by the Republic of Botswana. He is a global leader in oncology, health systems strengthening, and international health cooperation, recognized for building bridges between countries and advancing equitable cancer care in resource-limited settings.
Dr. Tamamyan is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at Yerevan State Medical University and CEO of the Immune Oncology Research Institute (IMMONC).
He is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of OncoDaily, one of the world’s largest oncology media platforms, created to democratize access to reliable, independent, and evidence-based cancer information globally.
Dr. Tamamyan was elected and currently serves as President of two major international pediatric oncology organizations: the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) Asia Continental Branch, representing pediatric oncology professionals across Asia, and the Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean (POEM) Group, uniting 28 countries and 110 cancer centers. He also serves as Co-Chair of the St. Jude EURO Regional Advisory Committee, encompassing 13 European countries.
At the age of 31, Dr. Tamamyan was appointed Head of the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, where he led the consolidation of previously fragmented pediatric oncology and hematology services into a single national center. Under his leadership, the Center evolved into a regional reference point, with survival rates reaching up to 80%.
He also co-founded City of Smile, a national pediatric cancer charity that helps ensure universal coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of every child and young adult with cancer in Armenia.
Dr. Tamamyan is Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Cancer and Crisis and an adviser to the Rector of Yerevan State Medical University. He previously served as President of the Harvard Club of Armenia.
Educated and trained across seven countries in Europe, North America, and Asia, his professional journey spans frontline clinical practice, research, academic leadership, national cancer center management, global health diplomacy, and institution building.
He is the recipient of numerous international awards and distinctions, including Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO); ASCO LIFe and IDEA Awards; UICC and IARC Young Leader Awards; the 40 Under 40 in Cancer Award; the Latin American and Caribbean Society of Medical Oncology (SLACOM) Award for Global Oncology Leadership; and the Global Health Catalyst Distinguished Leader Award.
He is married and has two daughters, Charlize and Letizia.
Read more about Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan’s WHO candidacy:
Dr Gevorg Tamamyan is Nominated as a Candidate for WHO Director-General Position
Watch HRH Princess Dina Mired’s interview with Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: The Man Who Challenged Cancer Hierarchies