World Health Assembly: Advancing the Pandemic Agreement and Global Health Goals

During the World Health Assembly on May 19, 2026, Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented a report on the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) to Member States. The assembly initiated a general discussion centered on the theme Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility.

Negotiations Extended for Pandemic Agreement Framework

WHO Member States have decided to extend the drafting and negotiation process for the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex. This work falls under the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which is mandated under Article 12 of the Agreement.

The PABS Annex is intended to establish a framework to ensure a more equitable response to future pandemics. While Member States conducted extensive negotiations over the past year, the assembly determined that further work is required before the annex can be finalized.

Member States agreed to submit the results of these negotiations for consideration by the Eightieth World Health Assembly in May 2027, or potentially at a dedicated special session of the Assembly in 2026. The adoption of the PABS Annex is described as critical for the opening of the WHO Pandemic Agreement for signature.

Negotiations are scheduled to resume following the World Health Assembly at the seventh meeting of the IGWG, which will take place from July 6 to July 17, 2026.

Global Public Health Achievement Awards

The Secretariat issued certificates of achievement to several nations for significant milestones in the elimination of various diseases and health threats.

• Trachoma elimination: Algeria, Australia, Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, Libya, Senegal, and Tunisia.
• Leprosy elimination: Chile.
• Human African trypanosomiasis elimination: Kenya.
• Malaria elimination: Suriname and Timor-Leste.
• Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, HBV, and syphilis: Anguilla, Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, Denmark, Maldives, Montserrat, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Turks and Caicos.
• Trans-fat elimination: Portugal and the United Arab Emirates.

the assembly recognized leaders for their contributions to tobacco control through World No Tobacco Day awards. Certificates were awarded to the Department of Legislation of Viet Nam, as well as the Ministers of Health from Liberia (Dr. Louise Mapleh-Kpoto), Spain (Dr. Monica Garcia Gomez), and Uruguay (María Lustemberg Haro).

Health Emergencies and Conflict Response

Delegates in Committee A focused on the response to public health emergencies, including the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and a report from the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.

The committee addressed the health impacts of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, specifically emphasizing the protection of health workers and health care facilities in conflict zones. As part of these discussions, the Committee adopted a draft decision regarding the health emergency in Lebanon.

Reflections on a Decade of the Health Emergencies Programme

A strategic roundtable was held on the margins of the assembly to mark the tenth anniversary of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), focusing on lessons learned from COVID-19 and other global crises.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the COVID-19 pandemic as the ultimate stress test, noting that it exposed critical weaknesses in trust, equity, and preparedness, while simultaneously accelerating global collaboration and innovation.

Dr. Mike Ryan, Former Executive Director of WHE, observed that global health systems have historically evolved reactively following crises like Ebola and SARS, and argued that systems must now move toward proactive adaptation.

Experts at the roundtable identified several necessary transformations for future preparedness:

• Professor Johanna Hanefeld of the Robert Koch Institute highlighted the need for epidemic intelligence that combines advanced analytics and AI with strong national systems.
• Dr. Daniela Garone of Médecins Sans Frontières warned that reliance on reactive funding limits effectiveness and called for sustainable, flexible financing.
• Dr. John-Arne Røttingen of the Wellcome Trust emphasized an end-to-end approach to medical countermeasures to ensure scientific advances lead to equitable real-world impact.

National representatives shared how these lessons have been applied domestically. Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Mekdes Daba Feyssa, noted that COVID-19 led to significant investments in workforce capacity, oxygen systems, and laboratories. In the Central African Republic, Minister Dr. Pierre Somsé discussed the use of the Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) to align community, political, and technical actions.

The session concluded that while the Pandemic Agreement and International Health Regulations reforms represent progress, the finalization of the PABS annex remains a critical requirement for translating these lessons into equitable global health systems.