Global Health in Transition at WHA79

For nearly eight decades, the World Health Assembly (WHA) has anchored global cooperation through shifting geopolitics, budget crises, and unidentified health threats. At the height of the Cold War, the WHA carved out space for U.S.-Soviet cooperation that made the eradication of smallpox possible. In 1988, it launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a private-public partnership that is still bolstering health security in fragile regions today, such as the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. And in 2025, the adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement reaffirmed the understanding that global cooperation on infectious threats is non-negotiable.

The 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) convenes amid a time of rupture. Hard-earned progress in global health cooperation has floundered because of receding political and financial investment. The global health workforce remains overstretched and under-resourced. Critical defenses, such as high immunization rates and strong disease surveillance systems, are at risk of faltering against old and new threats. In many settings, health activities have not only been deprioritized but are also subject to increasing violence, polarization, and misinformation. Combined, these factors are leading to cascading crises and accelerating risk.

Buffeted by instability, WHA79 presents a timely opportunity to take stock of a changed global landscape and reassert the value of multilateral policymaking.

What to watch at WHA79

Across the UN grounds and throughout Geneva, WHA79 will be packed with discussions on a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the key features that will shape conversations:

Extending efforts on global health equity and security. At the Assembly, countries will agree on the next steps for negotiating the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system –– the final and most important puzzle piece to the WHO Pandemic Agreement. As a legally binding annex, the PABS system would govern how pathogens and their genetic sequence data are shared and, importantly, how access is granted to vaccines and other countermeasures developed from those pathogens. Member States hoped to adopt the annex at WHA79 but as the timeline for negotiations dwindled, fundamental issues remained unresolved. Member States are now expected to request an additional negotiation with the goal to conclude by the 80th World Health Assembly in 2027.

Forging a shared vision for global health architecture. Following a unanimous decision, Member States must now decide how to move forward with a joint process to align partners around a vision for the global health architecture. A proposal designed by the WHO secretariat aims to stitch together the ideas and principles from a vast body of recent discussions. By linking these discussions to the UN80 reform initiative, the process also aims to contribute to more cohesive multilateral frameworks to best deliver results for diverse population needs and interconnected challenges. The Assembly also offers countries an opportunity to articulate their priorities for global health reform through an inclusive policymaking forum.

Launching a new decade of AMR action. Member States will also tackle the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with an opportunity to update the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (GAP-AMR). On a 10-year horizon, the GAP-AMR outlines strategies to improve access to life-saving drugs, raise public awareness, and tackle key drivers of AMR. The refresh prioritizes cross-sector coordination aligned with the One Health approach, such as enhanced infection prevention and control across agrifood, animal health, and plant systems. Notable areas of expansion include a focus on leveraging artificial intelligence for novel drug discovery, as well as mitigating AMR risks in conflict and disaster-affected settings. Should the Assembly grant its approval, the GAP-AMR would go to the full Quadripartite Joint Secretariat –– the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Organization for Animal Health, and the UN Environment Programme –– for endorsement.

Sounding the opening bell for the next WHO Director-General race. The search for the world’s next top health diplomat will commence during WHA79, following an official call for candidacies in April 2026. While the current Director-General’s term runs through August 2027, WHA79 provides opportunities for emerging frontrunners to take the spotlight. Crucially, Member States at this Assembly will also elect a new bloc of countries to the Executive Board, the 34-member governing body that holds the power to screen and shortlist candidates in early 2027.

What’s at stake?

WHA79 will be a global convening defined by opportunity and uncertainty. Decisions made during the week will shape how governments protect the health of their populations. In 2024-2025, WHO’s technical guidance, standards, and partnerships have extended essential health services to 136 million people without exposing them to catastrophic costs. Although this progress is tangible, it is slow, fragile, and uneven across countries and programs. As nations explore new models of partnership and power-sharing, expectations for accountability and impact are growing. Decisions made by the Assembly will set crucial coordinates for the future of global health cooperation.