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Geneva, 23 May 2026 — The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79) concluded its week-long session in Geneva today, having adopted more than 20 decisions and 13 resolutions covering a wide range of global health, political, and administrative issues. The assembly, which met from 18 to 23 May 2026 under the theme "Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility," took place against a backdrop of significant financial pressures and institutional restructuring at the World Health Organization.
Dr Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam of the Dominican Republic was elected President of the Health Assembly at the opening session. The elected Vice-Presidents represented Libya, Mali, Poland, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea, reflecting the assembly's commitment to geographic balance in its leadership.
Global Health Architecture Reform
One of the most consequential outcomes of WHA79 was the establishment of a joint, member-state-led process — hosted by WHO — to develop recommendations for reforming the global health architecture. This decision was made in the context of significant financial pressures on the organisation, including budget shortfalls and the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from WHO.
The reform process will examine how the global health system can be made more resilient, equitable, and financially sustainable, with recommendations expected to inform future governance structures and financing mechanisms.
Health Workforce Recruitment Code Revised
Delegates adopted a resolution to amend and strengthen the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel — the first revision of the Code in 16 years. The original Code, adopted in 2010, was designed to address the ethical recruitment of health workers across borders, particularly from low- and middle-income countries that face critical shortages.
The revised Code responds to the worsening global shortage of health workers, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, ageing populations, and the active recruitment of health professionals from vulnerable countries. It includes strengthened provisions on fair recruitment practices, compensation, and the responsibilities of both source and destination countries.
Pharmacovigilance in the Digital Age
A resolution on "smart and efficient" pharmacovigilance was adopted, encouraging the integration of digital tools, real-world data, and artificial intelligence to improve the safety surveillance of medicines and vaccines. The resolution recognises that traditional pharmacovigilance systems — reliant on spontaneous adverse event reporting — are insufficient in an era of rapidly deployed vaccines, biologics, and personalised therapies.
Precision Medicine for All
A resolution on precision medicine was passed, emphasising the need for equitable access to genomics and personalised therapies. The resolution acknowledges that while precision medicine holds enormous potential for treating cancer, rare diseases, and other conditions, its benefits currently accrue disproportionately to populations in high-income countries with advanced genomic infrastructure.
The resolution calls on member states to invest in genomic literacy, build laboratory capacity, and develop frameworks for the ethical use of genomic data, ensuring that precision medicine does not widen existing health inequities.
Steatotic Liver Disease and Noncommunicable Diseases
Member States formally recognised steatotic liver disease — formerly known as fatty liver disease — as a major and growing contributor to the global noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden. The decision reflects mounting evidence that the condition, driven by rising rates of obesity and metabolic disorders, affects an estimated 30 percent of the global adult population and is becoming a leading cause of liver transplantation and liver-related mortality.
Tuberculosis: Planning Beyond 2030
A decision was adopted requesting the Director-General to develop a post-2030 TB strategy, to be presented at the Eighty-first World Health Assembly in 2028. The current WHO End TB Strategy targets a 90 percent reduction in TB incidence and a 95 percent reduction in TB deaths by 2030, but progress has been insufficient, with the COVID-19 pandemic reversing years of gains.
Pandemic Agreement Negotiations Continue
Negotiations continued regarding the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex under the WHO Pandemic Agreement. Member States decided to keep this work under the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG), reflecting the complexity and sensitivity of establishing a framework for sharing pathogen samples and ensuring equitable access to the benefits derived from them — including vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
Financial and Institutional Context
The assembly occurred against a backdrop of financial constraints that have led to a restructuring of WHO, including a reduction in divisions and departments and a workforce decrease of nearly 10 percent. The United States' voting rights were formally suspended for the 2027 Assembly due to non-payment of dues, a consequence of the U.S. withdrawal from the organisation.
Despite these challenges, the assembly demonstrated the continued commitment of member states to multilateral global health governance. The 13 resolutions and 20 decisions adopted span emergency care, haemophilia, diagnostic imaging, radiation safety, stroke, and teleradiology, among other topics.
Opening Session Highlights
At the high-level welcome on 18 May, H.E. Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councillor of the Swiss Confederation, addressed the assembly on behalf of the host country. H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, attended as Special Guest of Honour. Delegates also heard video messages from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President Ahmad Al Sharaa of Syria, and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented the Awards for Global Health to four distinguished leaders: Dr Tore Godal, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, Dr Mike Ryan, and Dr Heba El Sewedy, recognising their lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to improving health worldwide.
Sources
- WHO, "World Health Assembly opens in Geneva, Switzerland," 18 May 2026,
- WHO, "Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly,"
- Health Policy Watch, WHA79 coverage, May 2026,
- International Hospital Federation, WHA79 outcomes, May 2026,
- WHO, "Director-General presents Award for Global Health to four distinguished leaders," 18 May 2026,
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
