WHO Applauds IMF’s Landmark $700 Million Support to Jordan for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
The World Health Organization (WHO) has lauded a groundbreaking decision by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board to approve the first-ever Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) agreement centered on pandemic preparedness and response. This strategic move aims to bolster the resilience of health systems in lower- and middle-income nations, starting with Jordan as the first beneficiary under this health-focused facility.
On June 25, 2025, the IMF Board approved a 30-month RSF arrangement that will provide Jordan with up to US$700 million in long-term, affordable financing. The funding is specifically directed toward helping the country address enduring vulnerabilities in its health infrastructure, particularly in its ability to prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemics and health emergencies.
This initiative comes at a critical time when many countries, especially in the developing world, face a decline in external aid and an overarching global health financing crisis. The WHO highlighted that the support extended to Jordan not only serves as a financial lifeline but also represents a transformative opportunity to stimulate domestic investment in sustainable and resilient healthcare systems.
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for new sources of financing to bolster health systems to make them more able to prevent and detect epidemics and pandemics, and to respond and withstand them when they strike,”
said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“WHO is proud to be working with the IMF and the World Bank to unlock financing from the Resilience and Sustainability Trust, and support countries to put it to work for a safer world.”
The Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) was established by the IMF in 2022 in direct response to the weaknesses exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is designed to provide long-term, concessional financing to eligible low- and lower-middle-income countries to address cross-border challenges such as climate change and health crises.
While previous RSF arrangements focused primarily on climate-related objectives, this marks the first RSF agreement ever approved for health-specific goals—a significant evolution in the scope of the RST. Under this mechanism, the IMF channels Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) voluntarily contributed by higher-income member countries, offering financing with a 20-year maturity and a 10½-year grace period—an attractive structure for countries with limited fiscal space.
In 2024, the WHO signed a tripartite agreement with the IMF and the World Bank Group to jointly provide technical assistance and policy guidance to countries applying for RSF funding. WHO’s role includes helping governments design and implement effective health sector reforms and readiness plans to ensure that the funding is used strategically and sustainably.
In Jordan, WHO has been actively working with the Ministry of Health to craft policy measures that will underpin the RSF program. These efforts include initiatives to enhance health system governance, consolidate budgetary frameworks, and develop robust pandemic preparedness mechanisms. The objective is to strengthen the country’s ability not just to respond to future outbreaks but to build a health system capable of enduring prolonged stresses and delivering equitable care across its population.
Moving forward, WHO teams across regional and country offices will continue supporting Jordan’s implementation of these reforms in collaboration with the IMF, national authorities, and local stakeholders. The organization emphasized that this model could serve as a blueprint for other countries seeking sustainable financing to improve their pandemic response infrastructure.
This landmark approval sets a precedent for integrating health resilience into macroeconomic stability frameworks and reflects a broader shift in how global institutions are recognizing the interconnectedness of health, economy, and security.
With Jordan taking the lead, WHO, the IMF, and the World Bank hope that more countries will follow suit in leveraging the RSF for pandemic preparedness, ultimately contributing to a safer, more resilient global health architecture.
