Investing in Resilience: Supporting Partners in a Changing World

Health systems are under ongoing pressure—from pandemics and conflict to climate-driven disasters—while funding grows less predictable. For frontline partners, the challenge isn’t just responding to needs. In some cases, it is doing so with fewer resources and certainty. Meeting this moment requires leaders to invest differently. 

That starts with aligning support to what partners say they need. This includes flexible, multiyear funding, faster access to resources, and support for building capacity and reducing administrative burdens. At Merck, we have acted on this feedback. We are listening closely, adapting as conditions change, and deploying support so organizations can focus on delivering care. 

Resilience isn’t built in moments—it’s built through sustained, responsive investment. 

For example, our Solutions for Healthy Communities global grants program provides two years of funding to local organizations working to expand access to health. As needs have grown, we have doubled our social investment in some of the hardest-hit regions. We have also expanded rapid-response funding and shifted select short-term contracts to multiyear agreements for some of our other grants to improve predictability. 

We are also strengthening the systems behind the work. We are investing in capacity-building so that partners have the systems and resilience to respond even more effectively across regions. 

And, we are using our voice. We recently marked the Mectizan Donation Program delivering its five billionth treatment, reaching more than 300 million people annually across 62 countries. This milestone underscored the power of partnerships in eliminating neglected tropical diseases and advancing global health at a moment of growing need. 

Three lessons guide our approach. Long-term partnerships create stability and room to adapt. Cross-sector collaboration is essential to scale impact—no single actor can solve complex challenges alone. And third, flexibility is critical. Partnerships are to be designed to evolve, enabling organizations to respond quickly as needs shift. 

Resilience isn’t built in moments—it’s built through sustained, responsive investment. By listening, adapting, and collaborating, leaders can help partners not just withstand disruption but also focus on reaching communities when and where it matters most.