In a significant move towards global health security, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lauded Member States for their commitment during the recent Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (May 19-27) and subsequent Executive Board meeting (until May 29). These sessions yielded historic agreements to bolster global health and pandemic preparedness.
Key achievements include:
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Pandemic Agreement: A landmark legally binding agreement was adopted on May 20, aiming to make the world safer from future pandemics. This agreement outlines measures for prevention and strengthening health system resilience, including:
- Improved rapid sharing of pathogens.
- Ensuring fair, equitable, and timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
- Strengthening technology transfer, financing, and supply chains. Dr. Tedros clarified that this agreement does not infringe on national sovereignty and does not grant WHO any new powers, emphasizing that WHO’s role remains advisory. The next step involves Member States negotiating the annex on pathogen access and benefit sharing, followed by ratification by 60 countries for the agreement to enter into force.
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Increased Financial Support for WHO: The Assembly approved WHO’s 2026-27 Programme Budget, which includes a 20% increase in assessed contributions. This adds $90 million in predictable and flexible funds annually, marking a significant step towards diversifying WHO’s funding and reducing its reliance on earmarked voluntary contributions. This increase is a cornerstone of WHO’s sustainable financing transformation.
Beyond these two major accomplishments, the Health Assembly also:
- Recognized several countries for eliminating diseases and industrial trans-fat from manufactured food supplies.
- Adopted important resolutions on various health issues, including:
- A new target to halve the health impacts of air pollution by 2040.
- New targets for maternal and young child nutrition.
- Strengthening regulation of digital marketing for formula milk and baby foods.
- A new global strategy for traditional medicine.
- First-time resolutions on lung health, kidney health, and a lead-free future.
- Establishment of World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day and World Prematurity Day as official WHO health campaigns.
- Resolutions on digital health, Guinea worm disease, health financing, the health and care workforce, medical imaging, nursing and midwifery, rare diseases, sensory impairment, skin diseases, social connection, and more.
Dr. Tedros highlighted that these outcomes demonstrate Member States’ strong confidence in WHO and their commitment to multilateral action for public health, particularly at a critical juncture for the organization.