Over the past few decades, global health financing has relied on a narrow base. As of 2023, official development assistance grants accounted for 75 percent to 95 percent of health-related aid flowing into developing economies, making the system highly dependent on the public budgets of a handful of donor countries. To be sure, this model has delivered major gains. Mortality rates among children under 5 in low-income countries, for example, fell by 19 percent between 2011 and 2019, from 1,837 deaths per 100,000 children to 1,485.

Bertrand Badré & Johanna Benesty propose ways to rethink aid, as dependence on a handful of budget-cutting donors threatens hard-won gains.

Over the past few decades, global health financing has relied on a narrow base. As of 2023, official development assistance grants accounted for 75 percent to 95 percent of…