The sixty-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA) takes place in Geneva from the 23rd to the 28th of May, that 3500 delegates from WHO’s 194 Member States – including a large proportion of the world’s health ministers – are attending.
It began with a a discussion on WHO reform and a general plenary discussion about “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Over the next days, delegates will discuss a wide range of agenda items, including decisions relating to WHO’s response to health emergencies and the International Health Regulations, noncommunicable diseases and factors that can put people at risk of these diseases – or reduce their level of risk. Important decisions will be made relating to childhood obesity and maternal, child and young child nutrition, as well as air pollution, tobacco control, violence and road safety.
As part of the global drive to support and strengthen health systems, delegates will discuss resolutions relating to human resources for health; the global shortages of medicines; and “people-centred” health services.
They will also discuss implementation of the Global Strategy on Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health discussed1 at the 68th World Health Assembly, as well as a set of draft global health sector strategies for HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, with new targets that align with the SDG agenda.
Other health-related resolutions focus on a neglected tropical disease – mycetoma; the public health dimensions of the world drug problem; and healthy ageing.
Resolutions that are more operational in focus will include WHO’s engagement with non-State actors (including civil society organizations, economic and social partners, and private sector entities) and the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: financing and coordination.
A series of daily technical briefings will start tomorrow with a discussion about Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: intersectoral action. Subsequent sessions will address implementation of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, Health Emergencies in Practice and Migration and Health.
