Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 19 May 2026

At the World Health Assembly today, Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented his report on the work of WHO to Member States and the Assembly started general discussion under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility”.   

The Secretariat presented certificates of achievement for outstanding public health achievements:

• Algeria, Australia, Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, Libya, Senegal and Tunisia for trachoma elimination;
• Chile for leprosy elimination;
• Kenya for Human African trypanosomiasis elimination;
• Suriname and Timor-Leste for malaria elimination;
• Anguilla, Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, Denmark, Maldives, Montserrat, Oman, Sri Lanka and Turks and Caicos for the elimination mother-to-child transmission of HIV, HBV and syphilis; and
• Portugal and United Arab Emirates for trans-fat elimination;

In recognition of their outstanding contributions to tobacco control, the following World No Tobacco Day awards certificates were awarded to:

• Dr Louise Mapleh-Kpoto, Minister of Health of Liberia;
• Dr Monica Garcia Gomez, Minister of Health of Spain;
• María Lustemberg Haro, Minister of Public Health of Uruguay; and the
• Department of Legislation of Viet Nam.

WHO Member States extend negotiations on Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system of WHO Pandemic Agreement

The World Health Assembly decided to continue the drafting and negotiation of the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex under the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement.  The IGWG, as mandated under Article 12 of the Agreement, will continue to prioritize this work.

The goal of the PABS Annex is to provide a framework for ensuring a better, more equitable, response to future pandemics. During the past year, WHO Member States have held extensive negotiations on the Annex, and the outcome of their work was presented to the World Health Assembly.

WHO Member States agreed to submit the outcome of their negotiations on the PABS Annex for consideration by the Eightieth World Health Assembly in May 2027, or at a dedicated special session of the Assembly in 2026.  Adoption of the PABS Annex is critical for the opening for signature of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.  WHO Member States will resume negotiations on the PABS Annex following the World Health Assembly at the seventh meeting of the IGWG being held on 6-17 July 2026.

Health Emergencies in Committee A

In Committee A, delegates discussed preparedness for and response to public health emergencies, and noted the report on the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and the report of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.  

Delegates also discussed the health impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with a focus on the protection of health care and health workers in conflict settings, and took note of the report on WHO’s work in health emergencies.  

The Committee adopted a draft decision on the health emergency in Lebanon.

From COVID-19 to action: reflections through a decade of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

On the margins of the World Health Assembly, global leaders convened for a strategic roundtable reflecting on lessons from COVID‑19 and other crises, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE).

Opening the session, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHE’s Executive Director, highlighted that WHE’s evolution has been shaped by lessons from successive emergencies, especially COVID‑19. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the pandemic as the “ultimate stress test,” exposing weaknesses in preparedness, equity, and trust, while accelerating innovation and global collaboration. Dr Mike Ryan, Former Executive Director of WHE, added historical perspective, noting that global health systems have often evolved reactively after crises such as SARS, Ebola, and COVID‑19, and must now adapt proactively to future threats.

Experts underscored key areas of transformation. Professor Johanna Hanefeld, of the Robert Koch Institute, emphasized a new era of epidemic intelligence, where advanced analytics and AI must be paired with strong national systems and public trust. Dr Daniela Garone, of Médecins Sans Frontières, stressed the need for sustainable and flexible financing, warning that reliance on reactive funding limits effective preparedness. Dr John-Arne Røttingen, of the Wellcome Trust, highlighted the importance of an end-to-end approach to medical countermeasures, ensuring that scientific advances translate into equitable access and real-world impact.

Country perspectives illustrated these lessons in action. Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba Feyssa, described how COVID‑19 drove major investments in laboratories, oxygen systems, and workforce capacity, strengthening responses to subsequent outbreaks. In the Central African Republic, Minister Dr Pierre Somsé highlighted how integrated approaches such as the Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) are aligning technical, political, and community action to improve preparedness.

The session underscored a central message: COVID‑19 revealed both the costs of unpreparedness and the power of collective action. While progress has been made through the Pandemic Agreement and reforms to International Health Regulations (IHR), finalizing the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex remains critical. The challenge now is clear – translate lessons into sustained investment and stronger, more equitable systems for the future.