he World Health Organization (WHO)’s decision–making body, the World Health Assembly (WHA), meets annually. This year’s 78th World Health Assembly convenes from 19–27 May 2025 under the theme, “One World For Health.” During the assembly, delegates from the WHO’s 194 member states gather to deliberate on global health policy. During these annual meetings, delegates hold executive board elections and make decisions about the WHO’s budget and collaboration with the UN. The policies and global strategies agreed upon during these annual meetings are key to the progress of the international public health sector.
The 78th WHA will play a uniquely pivotal role in the future of the international public health sector, as this is the first WHA held since the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the WHO, a process that takes one year. At the time of the announcement, the WHO released a statement expressing its hope that the U.S. might reconsider, and further promised to continue facilitating collaboration between the U.S. and the WHO. Many health experts and organizations have also voiced concerns, as the U.S. is the largest financial backer of the WHO and hosts many of the organization’s research and development centers. Thus, this theWHA needs to address developing the WHO’s resilience to continue its operations without the backing of the U.S., and perhaps may see the emergence of a new leader in global health governance.
According to the assembly’s provisional agenda, here are the four main pillars this critical assembly will address. Each main pillar is aspirational, indicating a goal the WHA seeks to address through this convening.
- One billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage
The WHA’s first pillar primarily focuses on an independent mid–term evaluation of the WHO’s Global Coordination Mechanism on preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases. The WHA members will take the report findings and discuss how they can best continue to support multisectoral actions despite tightened budgets, as well as how to best implement strategies to address noncommunicable diseases within governments at a national level. These discussions will shape the Global Coordination Mechanism until 2030. The WHA will also address other global health concerns within this pillar, including a plan to combat antimicrobial resistance and the public health sector’s work to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development goals.
- One billion more people better protected from health emergencies
The second WHA pillar intends to improve international health resilience. This pillar uses lessons from the Covid pandemic as a framework for facilitating discussions around public health preparedness and fixing gaps exposed by the pandemic. The WHO’s Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience framework was launched in 2023, and the upcoming WHA will address ongoing concerns regarding funding, regulations, and surveillance. One way to address some of these concerns at the WHA is by creating an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body responsible for creating a WHO convention agreement for international pandemic responses. This pillar will also address the Pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response accord drafted on 16 April 2025—after the U.S. initiated its withdrawal from the WHO, so this accord was drafted without U.S. input. Some health experts view the accord as a success given the WHO’s member states’ willingness to come together and develop a framework to better secure global health. However, there are some concerns that the draft is too ambiguous, with financing targets and means of enforcing regulations notably absent from the accord. It also remains to be seen how much the U.S.’ absence from the process will ultimately matter.
- One billion more people enjoying better health and wellbeing
The third pillar focuses on interconnected global issues in the international public health sector, like the climate crisis and humanitarian crises. For instance, the WHA will address the impact of pollutants and chemicals on public health. Similarly, the WHA will discuss health conditions and concerns in occupied Palestinian territory. Discussions will also take place for improving global health by addressing interpersonal violence, specifically against women and children, and improving global drowning prevention.
- More effective and efficient WHO providing better support to countries
This last pillar of discussion includes revising the WHO’s budgets and addressing staffing concerns, as well as examining global strategies set to expire this year including nursing and midwifery, digital health, dementia, and children’s nutrition. The WHA will determine how successful these policies have been and will likely develop new strategic frameworks to continue providing needed solutions. Again, this may prove more difficult without U.S. backing, as the WHO will need to find new financial backing to continue supporting these strategies. Within this pillar, the WHA will also consider a previously proposed collaboration agreement between the WHO and the Organisation for Economic Co–operation and Development (OECD). Finally, this pillar addresses the WHO’s collaboration with other UN special agencies, ensuring its global public health strategies work alongside other necessary global strategies for the climate crisis or humanitarian crises.
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World Health Assembly to assemble, without the U.S.
77th World Health Assembly. Image courtesy of Pan American Health Organization PAHO via Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
May 19, 2025
The 78th World Health Assembly starts 19 May, already boasting a dubious honor: the first WHA to be held without the U.S. in attendance. Diplomatic Courier staff writer Stephanie Gull explores the agenda, and what the U.S.’ absence could mean.
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he World Health Organization (WHO)’s decision–making body, the World Health Assembly (WHA), meets annually. This year’s 78th World Health Assembly convenes from 19–27 May 2025 under the theme, “One World For Health.” During the assembly, delegates from the WHO’s 194 member states gather to deliberate on global health policy. During these annual meetings, delegates hold executive board elections and make decisions about the WHO’s budget and collaboration with the UN. The policies and global strategies agreed upon during these annual meetings are key to the progress of the international public health sector.
The 78th WHA will play a uniquely pivotal role in the future of the international public health sector, as this is the first WHA held since the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the WHO, a process that takes one year. At the time of the announcement, the WHO released a statement expressing its hope that the U.S. might reconsider, and further promised to continue facilitating collaboration between the U.S. and the WHO. Many health experts and organizations have also voiced concerns, as the U.S. is the largest financial backer of the WHO and hosts many of the organization’s research and development centers. Thus, this theWHA needs to address developing the WHO’s resilience to continue its operations without the backing of the U.S., and perhaps may see the emergence of a new leader in global health governance.
According to the assembly’s provisional agenda, here are the four main pillars this critical assembly will address. Each main pillar is aspirational, indicating a goal the WHA seeks to address through this convening.
- One billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage
The WHA’s first pillar primarily focuses on an independent mid–term evaluation of the WHO’s Global Coordination Mechanism on preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases. The WHA members will take the report findings and discuss how they can best continue to support multisectoral actions despite tightened budgets, as well as how to best implement strategies to address noncommunicable diseases within governments at a national level. These discussions will shape the Global Coordination Mechanism until 2030. The WHA will also address other global health concerns within this pillar, including a plan to combat antimicrobial resistance and the public health sector’s work to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development goals.
- One billion more people better protected from health emergencies
The second WHA pillar intends to improve international health resilience. This pillar uses lessons from the Covid pandemic as a framework for facilitating discussions around public health preparedness and fixing gaps exposed by the pandemic. The WHO’s Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience framework was launched in 2023, and the upcoming WHA will address ongoing concerns regarding funding, regulations, and surveillance. One way to address some of these concerns at the WHA is by creating an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body responsible for creating a WHO convention agreement for international pandemic responses. This pillar will also address the Pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response accord drafted on 16 April 2025—after the U.S. initiated its withdrawal from the WHO, so this accord was drafted without U.S. input. Some health experts view the accord as a success given the WHO’s member states’ willingness to come together and develop a framework to better secure global health. However, there are some concerns that the draft is too ambiguous, with financing targets and means of enforcing regulations notably absent from the accord. It also remains to be seen how much the U.S.’ absence from the process will ultimately matter.
- One billion more people enjoying better health and wellbeing
The third pillar focuses on interconnected global issues in the international public health sector, like the climate crisis and humanitarian crises. For instance, the WHA will address the impact of pollutants and chemicals on public health. Similarly, the WHA will discuss health conditions and concerns in occupied Palestinian territory. Discussions will also take place for improving global health by addressing interpersonal violence, specifically against women and children, and improving global drowning prevention.
- More effective and efficient WHO providing better support to countries
This last pillar of discussion includes revising the WHO’s budgets and addressing staffing concerns, as well as examining global strategies set to expire this year including nursing and midwifery, digital health, dementia, and children’s nutrition. The WHA will determine how successful these policies have been and will likely develop new strategic frameworks to continue providing needed solutions. Again, this may prove more difficult without U.S. backing, as the WHO will need to find new financial backing to continue supporting these strategies. Within this pillar, the WHA will also consider a previously proposed collaboration agreement between the WHO and the Organisation for Economic Co–operation and Development (OECD). Finally, this pillar addresses the WHO’s collaboration with other UN special agencies, ensuring its global public health strategies work alongside other necessary global strategies for the climate crisis or humanitarian crises.
