Dr. Margaret Chan’s opening address for the 69th World Health Assembly holding from the 23rd to the 28th of May 2016, in Geneva, called for celebration of the stunning health achievements to date, but warned that health challenges have grown far more numerous and complex.

The speech spanned across the various areas of focus of the WHO. As such, the global strategy on people-centred and integrated health services also featured:

“[…] Innovations help, but ambitious goals are feasible and affordable only if we cut out waste and inefficiency.

We do so through integrated, people-centred care that spans the life course, from pre-conception through ageing, and brings prevention to the fore. The target for universal health coverage moves us in that direction.

UHC is the target that underpins all others. It is the ultimate expression of fairness that leaves no one behind. It also has the best chance of meetings people’s expectations for comprehensive care that does not drive them below the poverty line. […]”.

The topics that will be covered this year are: Responding to health emergencies, Violence Women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, Ageing and health, Maternal, infant and young child nutrition, Childhood obesity, Noncommunicable diseases, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Health effects of air pollution, Antimicrobial resistance, Poliomyelitis, Health of migrants, Global shortage of medicines, Safety and accessibility of children’s medication, Communicable diseases.

For the full speech see link below.

For the news release: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/sixty-ninth-world-health-assembly-opens/en/

For the live web stream: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/wha69/webstreaming/en/

For more information and documents on the WHA: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/wha69/en/