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Thursday, 14 May 2026
MEDIA ADVISORY
Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly convenes from 18 to 23 May 2026
Geneva, 14 May 2026 ---- The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79) will take place from 18 to 23 May in Geneva, Switzerland. Against a backdrop of global financial constraints and the need to sustain progress towards Health for All, Member States will adopt decisions and resolutions on a wide range of priority health issues, setting direction for global health action and advancing implementation of WHO’s global health strategy for 2025–2028.
Reforming the global health system
The Health Assembly will focus on the future of the global health architecture and decide whether to launch a new Member State-led process to reform the global health system, align with United Nations’ reform efforts, and strengthen coordination across actors.
Shaping health policy and responding to health emergencies
Member States will take decisions on major health policy frameworks, including the post‑2030 tuberculosis strategy, the strategy on the economics of health for all, global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, and on integrated emergency, critical and operative care.
Countries will consider decisions related to precision medicine, smart pharmacovigilance, reducing the burden of stroke, haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, as well as strengthening the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, among others.
The Health Assembly will also examine the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and WHO’s work in health emergencies.
Budget, finance and constitutional matters
Member States will address budget and finance matters, including the Results Report 2024-2025, and financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2026–2027. They will also review the status of collection of assessed contributions and consider constitutional matters regarding membership of WHO.
Further details on WHA79 and the issues under consideration are available in the agenda, which includes nearly 70 items and sub‑items.
What to expect on the opening day, 18 May
- High-level welcome and opening of the Health Assembly
- Election of the officers of the 79th World Health Assembly
- Presidential address
- Address by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
- Start of the general discussion under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility”
Health Awards
WHO Director-General’s Awards for Global Health will be presented on Monday, 18 May, during the High-level segment.
On Wednesday, 20 May, the Public Health Awards will be presented, including the Sasakawa Health Prize, the United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize, Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health, the State of Kuwait Health Promotion Foundation’s His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize for the Promotion of Healthy Ageing, and the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion.
Strategic dialogues and side events
- Walk the Talk Geneva 2026 will be held from 08.00 to 11.00 on Sunday, 17 May at the Place des Nations (open to the public)
- Three Strategic Roundtables will take place on 19, 20 and 21 May (EB Room, Building A, WHO, and webcast):
- From COVID-19 lessons to action: the evolution of the WHO Health Emergencies Programm
- It takes a village: an integrated and intersectoral response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health
- Addressing health mis- & dis-information: protecting scientific integrity.
- The list of WHA79 official side events is available here.
Information for media
Access and accreditations
The Health Assembly is open to journalists with a valid accreditation by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva.
Journalists accredited as UN Geneva correspondents (“Palais journalists”) do not need an additional WHA79 accreditation; however, their badge will need to be activated at the WHO reception on first entry for access to WHO during the Health Assembly.
Journalists without a valid accreditation by UNIS need to request a media accreditation for WHA79:
- Upload your online application here (indicate “WHA79” and input the dates 18 to 23 May 2026)
- Submit a letter requesting accreditation on official letterhead signed by your editor-in-chief/Publisher/Assignment Editor or Bureau Chief, specifying the journalists’ names, and the date and event for which you wish to be accredited
- The press badges will be available for pick up in person at the Palais des Nation (Pregny Gate) on Friday, 15 May (from 08.00 until 17.00 CEST, and on Monday, 18 May, from 08.00 CEST until the end of the WHA79. Please present a valid identification document and be prepared for crowds.
- The badges issued by the UN Information Service in Geneva (UNIS) will be valid for WHO buildings A & B (additional accreditation is not required); the badge will need to be activated at the WHO reception on first entry for access to WHO during the Health Assembly.
Resources for journalists
- Media updates: News, speeches and daily updates (roundups) will be posted in the WHA79 media corner. Daily media highlights, prepared in the morning, will be sent to the WHO media list (subscribe here)
- Press events: Media advisories about any press events during the Health Assembly will be sent to journalists
- Media centre: a workspace in front of the Salle de Presse (Press Room) in Building A at WHO will be available to journalists
- Expert interviews: WHO experts are available for interviews, please write to WHO media team at media@who.int
- Photography: Photos will be available for media use via the WHO Photo Library (questions to photos@who.int)
General information about the Health Assembly
Practical information
- Dates: Monday, 18 May to Saturday, 23 May (at the latest)
- Working hours: 09.00-12.00 and 14.30-17.30 CEST
- Venue: WHO HQ and Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (a shuttle service will run between the two locations):
- Plenary and Committee B: Assembly Hall at the Palais des Nations
- Committee A: Auditorium at the WHO Headquarters
Documentation, Interpretation and webcast
- WHA79 documentation, including the agenda, reports, decisions and resolutions, can be found here: https://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha79.html
- A daily journal, the official daily programme of work for the Health Assembly, will be available to download here; the preliminary daily timetable can be accessed here
- Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
- Webcast: Public meetings of the Health Assembly will be webcast live on WHO’s website, where the recordings of past meetings will be made available as well
- For WHA79 updates and documentation on your mobile device, download the “WHO Meetings” App available in the Apple or Google stores.
About the World Health Assembly
The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. Held annually in Geneva, it is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
The Assembly's main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.
Other meetings
- 44th meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board, 13 to 15 May 2026
- 159th meeting of the Executive Board, 25 and 26 May 2026
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