The sixty-eighth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA78) will meet from May 19 to 27, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, under the theme “One World for Health”.
The health assembly will bring together representatives from high -level countries and other stakeholders to meet health challenges. This year’s rally is at a pivotal time for global health, as Member States confront emerging threats and major changes in the world’s health and international development landscape.
The theme of this year underlines which is a lasting commitment to solidarity and equity, stressing that even in unprecedented time, everyone, everywhere, should have an equal chance to live a healthy life.
A determining moment: the pandemic agreement
A highly anticipated moment in the WHA78 will be taken into account of the pandemic agreement, a historic proposal developed over three years of intense negotiations by the intergovernmental negotiation body, composed of all the member states of the WHO. The adoption of the agreement is a unique opportunity to safeguard the world from a repetition of the suffering caused by the COVVI-19 pandemic. The proposal will be the second for approval under article 19 of the Constitution of WHO, which gives the Member States the power to conclude agreements on global health.
“This year’s World Health Assembly will be really historic with countries, after 3 years of negotiations, considering the adoption of the first world pact to better protect people from pandemics,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is CEO. “The pandemic agreement can make the world safer by stimulating collaboration between countries fairly in preparation, prevention and response to pandemics.”
Key priorities
Which is sustainable financing is a key priority of the health assembly. Member States will examine a planned increase of 20% of the contributions evaluated (membership fees), to the next budget of the 2026-2027 program (PB26-27). PB26-27, also for approval by health assembly, East the first complete well -biennum under which is Fourteenth general work program (GPW14), Who’s Strategy for Global Health for 2025-2028. The program’s budget for 2026-2027 was under consultation by the Member States, to prioritize activities and adjust the budget to current financial realities, by reducing it by 22%, to 4.267 billion US dollars, compared to the initial budget offered by 5.3 billion US dollars.
The rebatitization of WHO’s work, including economy measures and budgetary adjustments, will also apply to the current year, 2025. The objective is to focus on the main work of WHO and increase efficiency. Redepartness is an essential step in aligning the WHO of resources with the most urgent global health needs and putting the sustainable development objectives related to health (SDG) on the right track.
Sustainable funding has been one of the many transformation priorities put in place by the director general of the WHO to ensure one more efficient and more impactful when he took office. On Tuesday May 20, there will be a High level promise for the investment tourWhere Member States and Philanthropies should announce funding for whom.
Member States will assess the progress made in the past year, including an examination of the 2024 results report – The final report measuring progress towards the WHO of the triple billions of objectives within the framework of its thirteenth general work program.
Other highlights of the agenda
Health assembly will envisage approximately 75 articles and sub-elements and should approve more than 40 resolutions / decisions, many of which are offered by the board of directors to its 156th session (EB156), where they were discussed previously.
The crowded agenda covers a diversified fan of subjects in the WHO work program, such as health and care workforce, antimicrobial resistance, health emergencies, preparation, polio, climate change and social ties as determinants of health, among other questions.
Rewards and recognition
On the morning of Friday, May 23, the president of the WHA will present public health prizes and awards, recognizing the exceptional contributions of individuals and organizations to the progress of public health.
It is also expected that the Managing Director announces two prizes by the Director General for World Health on the morning of Tuesday, May 20.
Key events and secondary activities
Forty-five official events will take place at the Palais des Nations Monday May 19 to Saturday May 24 (see the full list). A list of other events is available here.
A high -level promise event will take place on Tuesday, May 20, from 6.45 p.m. to 7.45 p.m. is in room XVIII at the Palais des Nations. The event: Sustainable WHO funding for the impact in the new world health landscape, will serve as a platform for the Member States and partners to announce commitments and commitments to the WHO investment tower. More details and web broadcasting.
A ministerial round table on data and sustainable financing Wednesday May 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, this is in room XVIII at the Palais des Nations. This high -level round table will bring together the ministers of health and finance, global partners and technical leaders to identify evolutionary actions that strengthen health data systems led by the country and sustainable financing strategies for universal health coverage and health -related SDGs. More information: here.
Due to resource constraints, additional events will be limited. WHA78 will take place in a difficult financial environment. Several measures have been taken by WHO in order to contain costs, including the reduction of speaking times when possible, in order to reduce evening sessions to a minimum, seriously limiting hospitality, exhibitions and exhibitions and costs of events, among other administrative costs of cost economics.
Member States and Partners are organizing events on the WHA’s sidelines. More information via the Wha Guide and the WHA78 page via the United Nations Foundation.
Strengths of the chronology of the assembly
- Monday, May 19: Morning: opening of the Assembly; Including the presidential address and address of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Managing Director. The Committee has started deliberations on the pandemic agreement of the afternoon.
- Tuesday, May 20: morning: adoption of the pandemic agreement (expected), followed by the high -level segment with declarations of dignitaries and an opening speech of the general director and the awards of the director for global health. After-after, Committee A: discussion on the budget of the proposed program 2026-2027, including the discussion on the increase in CA. Evening: high -level promise event for the WHO investment tour
- Wednesday, May 21: Hour du lunch: ministerial round table on data and sustainable financing
- Friday May 23: morning: Presentation of Public health prizes and awards
The agenda and the Times could change. A daily newspaper will be published every morning on the WHA78 document page To provide more detailed information on daily schedules.
Pre- and post-assembly sessions
The health assembly will take place after the forty-second meeting of the program, budget and the administrative committee of the board of directors (PBAC42), which is held from May 14 to 16.
After assembly, the 157th Board of Directors (EB157) The meeting will take place on May 28 and 29, with the appointment of the next regional director of the WHO African Region on the agenda. With regard to this article, a special session of the Afro Regional Committee will take place on Sunday, May 18 to appoint a candidate for the post of regional director. The webdiffusion of EB157 public sessions and the related documentation is here.
About the World Health Assembly
As the highest decision -making organization, the World Health Assembly defines organizational policy and approves its budget. The health assembly is frequented by delegations from all WHO member states.