WMA External Activities and International Policy

Report of WMA External Activities and
International Policy
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Human Resources in Health
• Noncommunicable diseases
• Pandemic preparedness INB
• WHO Civil Society Commission
The Global Burden of AMR
• In 2019, 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR
• By 2050, 39 million people are projected to die from a resistant
infection
• Highest burden-> Sub-Saharan Africa at 27 deaths per 100,000
– Australasia ->6.5 deaths per 100,000
• Lower respiratory infections: >1.5 million deaths
• E coli, S aureus, K pneumonia, S pneumoniae, P aeruginosa, A
baumanii -> 6 leading pathogens
Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis Murray,
Christopher J L et al.
The Lancet, Volume 399, Issue 10325, 629 – 655
Drivers of AMR
Drivers of AMR-Interagency Coordinating Group on Antimicrobial Resistance- Report to the
Secretary General 2019
WMA’s AMR Work in 2024
• Member of the AMR Stakeholder group, CSO cluster
– Stewardship across the lifecycle
– Education
– High-level meeting coordination
2024 a year for AMR
• Advocacy towards the UN
High level meeting on
Antimicrobial Resistance
in New York
• Specific ask -> Increase
investment and support to
the workforce and health
systems strengthening to
allow for improved
antibiotic prescribing and
Infection Prevention and
Control practices.
Key advocacy points
• Involvement of NMAs in National
Action Plan development,
implementation and
Monitoring/Evaluation
• Ensuring Access to new AMR
products to areas with the greatest
unmet need
WMA’s AMR Work
World Health Assembly- May 2024
• “AMR: Looking towards UNGA and Beyond”
• Convened 50 global AMR experts into a round table
discussion format
WMA’s AMR Work
World Health Assembly- May 2024
• “AMR: Looking towards UNGA and Beyond”
2024- A year for AMR
• UN High level meeting Side event
2024- A year for AMR
• UN High level meeting Side event
2024- A year for AMR
• UN High level Meeting Declaration on AMR
Political Declaration of UN High level meeting on AMR
Human Resources for Health
Health workforce situation
Global shortage of 10 million HP by 2030
Higher demand on HP
• UHC
• aging population
• Advancement in medicine
Reduced supply
• Higher Burnout rate – especially after COVID
• Poor working conditions
• Violence & harassment
• High attrition rate
• Aging workforce
WHA 2025: 6 HRH Resolutions
5. Protecting, safeguarding
and investing in the
health and care
workforce
6. Human Resources for
Health
2016 (WHA69.19) 2017 (WHA 70.6)
2010 (WHA 63.16)
2. Global Strategy on
HRH
3. Strengthening
nursing and
midwifery
4. Community health
workers delivering
PHC
1. National Reporting
on the
implementation of
the WHO Code
(every three years)
Relevance and
effectiveness of the
Code (every five
years)
2022 (WHA(75.17)
WMA Migration Project
• Aim is to provide national perspectives on
physician migration through Country case studies
• Data collection via online form
• Highlight a physician perspective-> largely absent
from global conversations
• Please volunteer to contribute!
Julia.seyer@wma.net
Why is it essential to get involved?
• Global workforce conversations -> Physicians are not
a priority
• Data and numbers -> not highlighted
• Advocacy for increased investment -> often specific to
Nurses and Community Health Workers
• Above policies and conversations-> influence donors
and governments alike –
Noncommunicable Diseases
Road towards the
4th UN HLM on NCD
September 2025
Overview of HLM on NCD
• Builds on HLM on NCD in 2011, 2014
and 2018
• Outcome document as a political
declaration, however not legally
binding
• Meeting is organised by PGA with
UNSG and WHO
• WHO document on NCD and health
workforce
Preparation process
Sourc WHO
Key Documents for the HLM
Source WHO
Key Documents for the HLM
WMA can comment on zero draft of
political declaration
It is important to advocace for strong
HRH language in technical papers
WMA give
intervention
at WHO EB
and WHA
WMA Advocacy
• WMA is member is:
o WHO Civil Society Workgroup on NCD
o Advocacy Group on health workforce and NCD
o Member of the Global Coordination Mechanism on the
Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases
• Interventions and comments on various documents
Here we need your help:
• We send you our comments to zero draft outcome
document and you can send it to your governments
• What are your national key messages or issue of
importance
WMA secretariat Dr. Julia Tainijoki: julia.seyer@wma.net
International
Pandemic
Negotiations
Presentation at the WMA General
Assembly
Yassen Tcholakov
19/10/2024
Why is this important
Doctors are at the forefront of pandemics and are often the
most at risk (ex.: SARS-CoV-1 2002-2004, Marburg 2024, etc.)
Global public health response relies on the availability of tools
for response
Good intentions are insufficient (ex.: SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, etc.)
What has happened so far
Commitment to solidarity and equity through the
establishment of a Coordinating Financial
Mechanism
Some progress related to sharing of health products
in emergencies
Establishment of the States Parties Committee to
facilitate the effective implementation of the
amended Regulations
May 2024: IHR Amendments adopted
Ambition for a potential conclusion in late
2024
Negotiations resumed in July
Most complex issues: Surveillance,
Pathogen access and benefits sharing,
access, and One Health
May 2025: Pandemic Accord Conclusion
The two solitudes when discussing
Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing
Necessity of Surveillance & Data
Sharing for Response
PABS ensures timely access to pathogens and genetic
materials for rapid R&D.
Critical to slow transmission in key areas and manage
exponential disease spread.
Delays in access to countermeasures can significantly
complicate public health efforts.
Necessity of Access to Resources for
Response
Ensures equitable access to vaccines and treatments,
avoiding reliance on charity.
Evidence from COVID-19 and Mpox shows global
solidarity is insufficient for resource distribution.
PABS is essential for effective, equitable public health
response, especially in resource-limited regions.
Historical example of
solution finding: PIP
• What it is:
– The Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework is a
global agreement established in 2011 by the World Health
Assembly to govern the sharing of influenza viruses with
pandemic potential and ensure equitable access to vaccines and
other pandemic response resources.
• Why it was set up:
– It was created in response to inequities in vaccine access,
particularly highlighted during the 2005 H5N1 outbreak in
Indonesia, where countries providing virus samples struggled to
access vaccines produced from those samples. The PIP
Framework ensures:
• Obligations:Countries share virus samples with WHO.
• Benefits: Countries receive resources (vaccines, antivirals, financial
support) in return, fostering a more equitable global response to influenza
pandemics.
Next steps
• More negotiations in Geneva every few weeks
• Planned adoption of the Pandemic Accord at the next World Health
Assembly (at the latest)
• Possibility of an extraordinary assembly if agreement is achieved
earlier
• Adoption is contingent on finding agreement on areas where
important divide remains
• If you are interested in influencing this process, communicate with Julia
Tainijoki-Seyer julia.seyer@wma.net
WHO Civil Society
Commission
WHO Civil Society
Commission
• WHO Secretariat led network of civil society
organizations (CSOs)
• Provides insight and inputs to WHO DG and WHO
Secretariat, and brings civil society voices and
priorities to WHO at country, regional and global levels
• Strengthens dialogue and collaboration, and provides
recommendations to support WHO on its engagement
with civil society at all 3 levels
• Inclusive and diverse in participation and structure
with representation from a cross-section of CSOs,
different income settings and geographical areas, as
well as global, regional, national, and local levels
• Adheres to WHO’s rules, such as FENSA
• Annual General meeting, Steering Committee and
Working Groups
• Dialogues between the WHO Director-General and
Civil Society Organizations
WHO interactions with civil society
Member States
interaction with NSAs on
national
National consultations with
NSAs
Youth/CSO delegates in
national WHA and EB
delegations
WHO governance –
(NSA) involvements
NSAs in official relations
participation in WHO
governing bodies
WHO – all 3 levels
engagement with civil society
WRs/WHO Country Offices
WHO Regional Offices
WHO secretariat
WHO Civil Society Commission Steering Committee
32
• Comprises of 22 representatives of
CSOs that have been accepted to
participate in the CSO Commission
• Chaired by WHO Secretariat, which
appoints two Steering Committee
members as Co-Chairs for a two-year
term :
• Lisa Hilmi, CORE Group
• Ravi Ram, Medwise Solutions
• Provides recommendations, input
and strategic direction to the aspects
relating to the work of the Commission
• Recommendations will be made on the
basis of consensus.
• TWO virtual meetings held already
with WHO Regional Office focal
persons
33
422
applications
received
until
10.06.24
320
applications
cleared
9
application
s rejected
37
on hold
(awaiting
documents)
General overview
Current composition of Civil Society Commission
and status of membership applications
56
applications
to be
reviewed