Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly – Daily Update: 30 May 2023

The 76th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization closed today, addressing several issues including behavioral science. Best Buy for Non-Communicable Diseases; investigations; People with disabilities; drowning prevention; Emergency, critical and surgical; Food micronutrients; Native Health; infection prevention and control; maternal and child health; Medical Oxygen: primary health care; Immigrant and Refugee Health; recovery Traditional medicine and WHO’s work in response to dozens of emergencies in collaboration with member countries to better prepare for new challenges.

Earlier in the day, the representatives in Committee A agreed to recall this Roadmap to global health and peace initiatives (with a slight change to “Global Health for Peace Initiative”) and asked the Director General to report on the progress of strengthening the roadmap.

At the final approval stage of the plenary session, representatives presented their reports approving the resolutions and decisions of the two committees. This includes approval of the 2024-25 budget and a 20 percent increase in assessed contributions. The chairpersons of the committee and representatives of two regions acknowledged the work and progress of this conference.

In it Closing remarksDr. Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: “The increase in assessed contributions and investment round is a historic and significant milestone.” At this year’s UN General Assembly, he spoke about the year ahead, holding summits on universal health coverage, tuberculosis and epidemic prevention and response. He pointed out that the ongoing negotiations on the pandemic agreement and the revisions to international health regulations are unprecedented – “generational” – opportunities to learn from the mistakes of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that they are not repeated.

The delegates had the opportunity to hear from former WHO Fellow Gwen Carnelly, who started working with the WHO in 1949, a year after its founding 75 years ago.

Closing video of the 76th World Health Assembly. Gwen Carnelly was introduced at 54:37 and spoke shortly after.