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World Health Assembly (WHA)

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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-eighth World Health Assembly — Geneva, 19–27 May 2025

PAHO's Coverage of the WHA
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…
Auditorium WHA
Health leaders from the Americas and around the world gather at the 78th World Health Assembly with a call for unity in health
May 16, 2025 – The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) will take place from May 19 to 27 in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together global health authorities, including health ministers from the Americas, to discuss a key agenda for global health.Under the theme “One World for Health”, delegates meeting at the Palais des Nations are expected to…
Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) Co-Chair Precious Matsoso of South Africa (left); Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (WGIHR) Co-Chair Dr Ashley Bloomfield of New Zealand.
World Health Assembly agreement reached on wide-ranging, decisive package of amendments to improve the International Health Regulations, and sets date for finalizing negotiations on a proposed Pandemic Agreement
Geneva, 1 June 2024 — In an historic development, the World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of its 194 member countries, today agreed a package of critical amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), and made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest.…
Delegates at World Health Assembly
Pandemic preparedness and response, equity among key topics for the Americas at Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland, 1 June 2024 (PAHO) - Building on the lessons from COVID-19, countries from the Americas strongly engaged in decisions to better prepare against present and future health challenges, including pandemics, climate change and growing antibiotic resistance, and to promote universal health coverage at the global health gathering.The…