78th World Health Assembly

About the Seventy-eight World Health Assembly (WHA78)

The Seventy-eight World Health Assembly (WHA78) — the decision-making body of the World Health Organization that meets annually in Geneva —  will take place from 19 to 27 May 2025 in Geneva under the theme « One World for Health. »

WHA78 will set new ambitions for the Member States and the WHO in the area of climate and health by the finalization of the Draft Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health, following the dedicated Resolution on climate change and health adopted at WHA77, as well as the WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of work for the period 2025-2028 (GPW14) with the response to climate change being selected as one of its six key strategic objectives. Topics related to the environment to be considered at WHA78 include:

Pillar 1: One billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage

• 15. Antimicrobial resistance | Document A78/8

Pillar 3: One billion more people enjoying better health and well-being

• 18. Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board
  • 18.1 The impact of chemicals, waste and pollution on human health | Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(32)
  • 18.2 Updated road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution | Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(33)
  • 18.3 Climate change and health | Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.2 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(40)

Environment @ WHA78

With the environment high on the agenda, various official WHA78 side events and parallel events will tackle environmental issues:

19 May 2025

• The AMR Equation: Where Innovation Meets Urgency: Cross-Sectoral Collaboration for Preventing and Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance | Health Diplomacy Alliance, Union for International Cancer Control | 12:00-14:00 CEST | Hotel Warwick
• Advancing Health and Climate Discussions Towards COP30: A Dialogue with the Baku Continuity Coalition | Official Side Event | Brazil, Egypt, United Kingdom | 12:30 – 13: 50 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room VII

21 May 2025

• Biosecurity: A Priority in the Era of Pandemics and AI | PAN, Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) | 07:00 – 09:00 CEST | Hôtel Royal Genève
• Mobilising action on AMR for better cancer care – collaboration with the NCD community is key | 08:00 – 09:30 CEST | UICC, CARB-X, GARD-P | By invitation only
• Temperatures rising: Preparing and protecting for extreme heat | Wellcome Trust, The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Heat Health Information Network | 09:00-10:30 CEST | Intercontinental Hotel, Ballroom C
• Future-proofing healthcare: Innovations to support people and planet | Foreign Policy, Bupa | 08:30-10:00 CEST | By invitation only
• Protecting people and planet: Supporting implementation of the future plastics treaty | Geneva Graduate Institute’s Global Health Centre, TESS Forum, University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute | 12:30-14:00 CEST | Maison de la Paix, Auditorium Ivan Pictet
• Unlocking Scale Pathways for Climate and Health Solutions | PATH, Global Innovation Fund (GIF) | 16:00-18:00 CEST | Lisbonne Seminar Room, InterContinental | By invitation only
• Health is the Driver for Climate Action | Governments of Norway, the Philippines, Denmark, and the Republic of Korea, and supported by WHO’s Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health, the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, and WHO | 18:00-19:30 CEST | Campus Biotech
• Planetary health: A contribution through cooperation, research and art | Medicus Mundi Spain | 21 May 2025 | 18:00 – 20:00 CEST | Warwick Hotel
• From risk to readiness: Harnessing weather and climate information for health | The Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome, WHO-WMO Joint Climate & Health Programme | 18:00 – 20:30 CEST | Restaurant Vieux Bois | Waitlist

• Collective action to strengthen global spaces: driving momentum on achieving results for the WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work | Women Deliver, FIGO, PMNCH, UNFPA | 19:30 – 20:50 CEST | Palais des Nations – Room VIII

22 May 2025

• Break the Fossil Fuel Influence: Launching a Health-led Call for Fossil-Free Communications | Global Climate and Health Alliance | 08:00-09:30 CEST | Geneva Press Club – To RSVP contact: shweta.narayan@climateandhealthalliance.org
• Adapting to climate change to end infectious diseases: needs, best practices, innovations and resources | Medicines for Malaria Venture (MVV), France, Rwanda, AMREF Health Africa, UNITAID | 19:30-20:50 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room VII

23 May 2025

• Making the health investment case for clean air | Clean Air Fund | 12:30-14:00 CEST | Vieux Bois Restaurant

On the sidelines of WHA:

• Geneva Health Forum 2025 | From May 20 to 23, 2025, the Geneva Health Forum  (GHF) will take place in parallel to the WHA. As the WHA convenes a political audience, the GHF provides a unique platform conveying the perspectives of scientists, healthcare professionals and field actors on the main challenges and opportunities for global health.
  • Malnutrition, the road to 2030: building on success, facing what’s next | 20 May 2025 | 14:00 – 17:00 CEST |  Campus Biotech
  • Scaling Impact: Climate & Health Solutions That Drive Change | 21 May 2025 | 9:00 – 10:30 CEST | Campus Biotech
  • Climate Change and Health: Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing World | Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University | 21 May 2025 | 14:00 – 15:30 CEST | Campus Biotech
• Geneva Health Week 2025 | Each year during the World Health Assembly (WHA), the Platform hosts a series of side events and discussions around critical global health issues, raising awareness among member states attending WHA meetings. During the Geneva Health Week, the Platform provides important exposure for a wide range of global health actors, enhancing collaborations and partnerships for future discussions and events.

Highlights