Countries approve a historical resolution for a unleaded future
Member States have also recognized that exposure to dangerous chemicals and pollution contributes to more than 9 million premature deaths per year – one in six worldwide – with a disproportionate impact on populations in vulnerable situations, in particular children, pregnant women and communities in low and average income countries.
Member States are invited to reduce exposure to dangerous chemicals, such as lead, mercury, persistent organic pollutants and endocrine disturbing chemicals, integrating health into environmental policies and regulations and improving waste management systems, including for increasing challenges related to plastics and pollution of electronic waste.
Countries have undertaken to implement the chemicals’ roadmap and improve national capacities and global cooperation through multilateral agreements such as the global framework on chemicals, the Minamata convention on Mercury and the Conventions of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm.
Who will consult the countries and will translate the EB156 resolution (32) in a global action plan on the mitigation of leads and will continue to provide technical assistance and advice to strengthen the leadership of the health sector, in order to protect communities against avoidable health risks due to chemicals, waste and dangerous pollution.
By adopting EB156 (32) and recognizing exposure to lead and other chemicals, waste and pollution as health threats, Member States have taken decisive action to tackle environmental determinants and the deep causes of poor health, by advancing equity in health and by achieving sustainable development objectives.
- The impact of chemicals, waste and pollution on human health A78 / 4
- EB156 / 2025 / REC / 1
- EB156 (32)
Member States agree on a new global strategy of traditional medicine for 2025-2034
The members of the World Health Assembly have agreed with the new global WHO medicine strategy to advance the development of practice based on evidence of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) in the next decade. Arriving at this strategy, the Member States debated crucial components for inclusion, such as the creation of a solid evidence for traditional medicine practices, the development of regulatory and security mechanisms, the creation of integrated health care models, if applicable, and ensuring qualified practitioners.
With this strategy, the Member States explicitly recognized not only the role of traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, but also the maintenance of their rights, while promoting environmental sustainability and the conservation of biodiversity in the context of TCIM.
As part of the 2025-2034 strategy, which will help the Member States strengthen the basis of evidence for TCIM, strengthening safety, quality and efficiency and, if necessary, facilitating its integration into health systems while optimizing collaboration between the intermediate sector.
The implementation and monitoring of the strategy are key elements. Who will support the Member States in the implementation and adaptation of the strategy, providing advice and technical assistance if necessary.
This new strategy aims to unlock the full potential of TCIM to improve world health and well-being in the context of sustainable development objectives and universal health coverage (UHC).
World Prematurity Day approved as a compulsory global health campaign
By approving the urgent need for action on premature births, the Member States have agreed to announce World Prematurity Day as an official health campaign. The campaign will complete efforts to improve premature birth prevention and provide vital health care for babies born early or small.
Premature births are defined as births that occur before 37 weeks of pregnancy are over. Related complications, which include the breathing of difficulties as well as infections and hypothermia, are the main cause of death in children under 5 years of age. Those who survive can face significant and long -term disability and poor health.
Resolution also calls on countries to invest in proven high impact interventions – such as special newborns for Kangaroo’s mother care and family support – which improve results for babies born early or small.
The campaign was approved in the context of discussions on the global health, children and adolescents’ health strategy (2016-2030) and is aligned with Resolution of last year To accelerate progress in improving maternal, newborn and child survival.
Member States agree on actions concerning the impacts on nuclear war health
Countries have agreed with a resolution entitled “Effects of nuclear war on public health”. The resolution was proposed by Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Fiji, Guatemala, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (federated states), New Zealand, Peru, Samoa and Vanuatu. He highlights the serious health risks posed by nuclear weapons and reaffirms the constitutional principle of who is that health is fundamental to peace and security.
Recalling the past of the resolutions and relationships of WHO and UN, the resolution highlights the long -standing recognition of devastating health and the environmental consequences of nuclear war. Nuclear war would have catastrophic consequences for human health – both immediate and long -term. At the United Nations of the future in September 2024, the Member States raised an alarm on the growing threat of nuclear conflicts, describing it as an existential risk for humanity and reaffirming their commitment to total nuclear disarmament.
The new resolution asks the director general of the WHO to update previous reports on the impacts of nuclear war on health and health systems, to cooperate with the stakeholders and the United Nations organizations concerning, and to report to the World Health Assembly by 2029. It also encourages the prevention of the Member States to support this work, in accordance with its national contexts and its legal frameworks, recognizing that Prevention of nuclear war is essential for global health, security and survival of humanity.
Assembly to examine the ratio of medical products of lower quality and falsified in 2026
Countries have approved the decision to provide an additional time to finalize the report of the fourteenth meeting of the Member States (HSH) concerning global health threats posed by lower and falsified medical products (SF). The final report will now be subject to seventy-nineteenth World Health Assembly in 2026, via the 158th session of the Executive Council.
This decision follows a request from the MSM steering committee for more time to examine specific recommendations for the independent assessment of 2023, in particular those concerning potential revisions in the mechanism format. Which actively supports this process by providing legal and operational advice.
With around 1 out of 10 drugs in low and intermediate income countries being lower or falsified, and economic losses ranging from $ 75 to 200 billion per year, the issues are high. SF incidents almost tripled between 2019 and 2023, exacerbated by online distribution, low surveillance and regulatory monitoring and humanitarian crises.
Resolved WHA65.19 In 2012, the HSH served as the cornerstone of the global WHO strategy, allowing countries to collaborate to prevent, detect and respond to SF medical products. The 2023 assessment reaffirmed the relevance of the mechanism and highlighted its unique role in global coordination. However, he also called for improvements, including regional commitment, a broader collaboration of stakeholders and an improvement in operational agility.
Who has reiterated all its commitment to strengthen the mechanism as the cornerstone of global health security, calling for the continuous commitment of governments, manufacturers and pharmaceuticals, donors and civil society.
Flags of non -member observers
The delegates have decided that “the flags of non -member observers states to the United Nations for the World Health Organization … and do not constitute the status of the Member State to the World Health Organization.” The discussion focused specifically on the fact that the Palestinian flag raised the WHO, as a non -member observer state, and cited the UN resolution 20.15 as a basis for the flag to be lifted.
Given the withdrawal of a Member State
There was a request for the Executive Committee, during its meeting in January 2026, to examine the withdrawal of Argentina and to submit a report to it to the seventy-nineteenth World Health Assembly.