WHO_ADG October 2024

WHO: A brief primer
• The World Health Organization (WHO) is the UN
global health agency
• Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, WHO
operates through six regional offices and over 150
field offices worldwide.
• Collaborating with governments, international
organizations, and many other partners, WHO strives
to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can attain the
highest possible level of health
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Over the past four years, WHO has better protected 600 million people
from ever increasing and more frequent health emergencies. Last year
alone, WHO…
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Established incident
management support for
65 acute events including
containing outbreaks of
Ebola in the DRC &
Uganda
Screened 108 million
pieces of information
to detect public health
threats & 50 thousand
potential risks assessed
Protected over 60 million
people against yellow
fever & cholera through
preventative
vaccination campaigns
Supported over 120
countries with IHR
assessments, development
of National Action Plans for
AMR & health Security
Supported Member State
negotiations for
amendments to the
International Health
Regulations & Pandemic
Agreement
Provided life-saving support to
102 million people across 29
countries including those
facing conflict in Ukraine & the
occupied Palestinian territory
WHO and WMA working together
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• WMA member of WHO’s Civil Society Commission
• Overlapping interest areas, in particular Primary
Health Care and protection of health workers in
conflict zones
• Next WMA strategy for 2025-30 presents an
opportunity for greater alignment of our work
WHO’s ‘GPW’ | setting the Global Health Agenda & WHO priorities
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WHO Strategy for Global Health
& ‘General Programme of Work’:
• medium-term strategy for global
health, agreed by Member States
• broad international health agenda
for countries, partners & WHO
• defines direction of work for WHO
Informed by: WHO Executive Board, World
Health Assembly, Regional Committees,
Country Cooperation Strategies
GPWs translate global health priorities into WHO’s work
Every 4-6 years
Approved by the WHA
Every 2 years Every 2 years
Next 4 years| key to reinvigorate SDGs & future proof health systems
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Health-related SDGs are way off track….. ….in an even more complex environment
Requires an exceptional & collective focus on equity, resilience & intersectoral action
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PROVIDE HEALTH LEADERSHIP: convening, agenda-setting, partnerships & communications
DELIVER QUALITY NORMATIVE WORK: high-quality research, norms, technical & data products
SUPPORT COUNTRIES: tailored country cooperation to accelerate progress on health
WHO’s
contribution
Respond to climate change, an
escalating health threat
Address determinants of health
& root causes of ill health
Advance the PHC approach &
essential health system
capacities for UHC
Improve health service
coverage & financial protection
Rapidly detect & sustain
response to health emergencies
Prevent, mitigate & prepare
for health risks from all hazards
Strategic
objectives
To promote, provide and protect health & well-being for everyone, everywhere
Mission
Strategy at a Glance | 6 objectives for Global Health in 2025-28
WHO’s normative work regulates daily lives of health professionals
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Digital health and Innovation accelerates access to care
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• WHO hosts digital infrastructure allowing cross-
border portability of patient records giving you faster
access to the information you need
• 85 countries already connected through public trust
infrastructure
• Regulation of the use of artificial intelligence in
health
• Identifying and scaling innovation through an end to
end cycle
Strengthening and protecting the global
health workforce
• Shortage of 18 million health workers globally
• Exacerbated by migration and globalization
• WHO builds capacity and works with countries to
analyze workforce needs and gaps
• Strong focus on protecting health workers, especially in
conflict settings
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CHOLERA
Multi-Region 2023
Global Health Security is under threat: Health emergencies
throughout the year and on every continent
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39 Graded health
emergencies
79 Affected
countries*
As of September 2024
© WHO
CONFLICT
Israel/oPt 2023
DISPLACEMENT
Sudan 2023
© Reuters/Zohra Bensemra
Current
examples
MPOX
Multi-country 2022 / 2024 (PHEIC)
© WHO /Guerchom Ndebo
Preparing for the next pandemic
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• WHO’s health emergencies programme works to
strengthen the global health architecture, with a
focus on ensuring all countries have the capacities to
detect and respond to the next pandemic
• Focus on early detection, rapid response and building
systems resilience
• Coordination of international efforts during an
outbreak, ensuring access to medical
countermeasures
The Investment Round – a unique opportunity to rally all
stakeholders around Global Health
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Fully fund the WHO Global Health
Strategy 2025-28 (GPW14)
base budget by broadening the donor
base
Secure predictable and more
flexible funding for the 4
years, enabling maximum
effectiveness
Safeguard political support
keeping global health on the
world agenda post Covid
WHO is not asking for additional funds compared to last biennium
➢ Funding need of US$ 7.1 billion which needs to be filled through voluntary contributions
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WMA and its members playing a crucial role in advancing health
and help WHO reach its 2025-2028 targets
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• Your work & your voice needed
• Advocate for health and global health
to be prioritized and financed
• Build public trust in health
measures
• Hold governments accountable for
implementing international
agreements, policies, guidelines
World Medical
Association
19 October 2024