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World Health Assembly (WHA)

Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed program budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

Seventy-Ninth World Health Assembly — Geneva, 18–23 May 2026

PAHO's Coverage of the WHA
Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis receiving her award from President of the Republic of Ghana H.E. John Dramani Mahama and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Bahamian public health leader Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis receives WHO Global Health Leaders Award at 79th World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland, 18 May 2026 (PAHO) — Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis of The Bahamas was recognized today with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award during the High-Level Welcome of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79), honoring her lifelong contribution to public health in the Americas and…
Delegations of teh Americas at the 79th WHA
World Health Assembly opens with focus on equity, resilience, and global health cooperation; Region of the Americas plays active role
Geneva, Switzerland, 18 May 2026 (PAHO) — The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79) opened today at the Palais des Nations, bringing together delegations from more than 190 countries to define global health priorities and advance discussions on some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. This year’s Assembly takes place amid…
Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly concludes:
Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly concludes: historic outcomes, consequential highlights
Geneva, 28 May 2025 – The  Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), the annual meeting of World Health Organization’s (WHO) Member States, came to a close Tuesday, as health leaders lauded vast accomplishments and global solidarity.The Assembly, WHO’s highest decision-making body, convened from 19 May to 27 May, under the theme “One…
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, and the Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Spain, Mónica García Gómez, today signed a Letter of Intent to boost cooperation in organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation
PAHO and Spain's Ministry of Health strengthen cooperation in organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation in the Americas
Geneva, Switzerland, May 20, 2025 (PAHO) — On the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78), the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, and the Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Spain, Mónica García Gómez, today signed a Letter of Intent to boost cooperation in organ, tissue, and cell donation and…
The conclusion of discussions on the Pandemic Agreement in Committee at the World Health Assembly 2025.
World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics
Geneva, Switzerland, 20 May 2025 (PAHO/WHO) - Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) today formally adopted by consensus the world's first Pandemic Agreement. The landmark decision by the 78th World Health Assembly culminates more than three years of intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to…
Committee A World Health Assembly
Member States approve WHO Pandemic Agreement in World Health Assembly Committee, paving way for its formal adoption
Historic agreement to be considered for adoption Tuesday in plenary of the AssemblyGeneva, Switzerland, 19 May 2025 (WHO) — World Health Organization Member States, meeting today in Committee A of the World Health Assembly, approved a resolution that calls for the adoption of an historic global compact to make the world safer from future…
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa at the Global Health Forum
Strengthening primary health care, tackling NCDs, and advancing digital transformation key to health equity in the Americas, says PAHO Director
Geneva, Switzerland, 19 May 2025 (PAHO) — The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, has called for urgent action to strengthen primary health care as a way to achieve health equity and address persistent gaps in the care of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health. He also urged improving access to…
Brazil was recognized for its pioneering tobacco control regulations and strong resistance to industry interference. Dr. Tedros poses for photo with a representative from the country.
Six initiatives from the Americas awarded for their contributions to tobacco control
Washington, D.C., May 19, 2025 (PAHO) – Researchers, activists, civil society organizations, and journalism organizations from Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay, as well as government agencies from Brazil, have been recognized with World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2025 Awards at the 78th World…
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, met with the heads of delegation from the countries of the Americas to discuss two crucial issues on the Assembly's agenda: the pandemic agreement and the WHO's program budget for the 2026-2027 biennium, including the scale of assessed contributions
Pandemic agreement and fair financing, key focus of PAHO Director' message to delegations of the Americas at the World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland, May 19, 2025 (PAHO) - Within the framework of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78), the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, met with the heads of delegation from the countries of the Americas to discuss two crucial issues on the Assembly's agenda: the pandemic agreement and the WHO's…