The 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva will discuss global health reforms, emergency preparedness and financing challenges.

The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly will take place from May 18 to 23 in Geneva against a backdrop of global financial constraints and the need to sustain progress towards Health for All, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.

Member states are expected to adopt decisions and resolutions on a wide range of priority health issues, setting direction for global health action and advancing implementation of WHO’s global health strategy for 2025–2028.

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations health agency, the World Health Organization, and is composed of health ministers from 194 countries.

Reforming the global health system

The Health Assembly will focus on the future of the global health architecture and decide whether to launch a new member state-led process to reform the global health system, align with United Nations reform efforts, and strengthen coordination across actors.

Shaping health policy and responding to health emergencies

Member states will take decisions on major health policy frameworks, including the post-2030 tuberculosis strategy, the strategy on the economics of health for all, the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, and integrated emergency, critical and operative care.

Countries are expected to consider decisions related to precision medicine, smart pharmacovigilance, reducing the burden of stroke, haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, as well as strengthening the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, among others.

The Health Assembly will also examine the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and WHO’s work in health emergencies.

Budget, finance and constitutional matters

Member states will address budget and finance matters, including the Results Report 2024–2025, and financing and implementation of the Programme Budget 2026–2027. They will also review the status of collection of assessed contributions and consider constitutional matters regarding membership of WHO.

There are nearly 70 items and sub-items under consideration in this year’s Health Assembly agenda.

Among other things, the election of the officers of the 79th World Health Assembly, the presidential address, the address by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, and the general discussion under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility” are likely to take place on the opening day of the Health Assembly on Monday.