The Seventy-eighth session of the World Health Assembly will convene from 19 to 27 May 2025 under the banner of One World for Health. Please see additional details in the press release. With the participation of ministers of health and other high-level country and civil society representatives, the WHA provides a crucial platform to call for coordinated action on a primary health care approach to universal health coverage. The Health Assembly will consider approximately 75 items and sub-items and is expected to approve more than 40 resolutions/decisions.
Relevant topics to be considered include but are not limited to:
- The prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (A78/INF./2)
- Mental health and social connection; universal health coverage - primary health care; substandard and falsified medical products; health and care workforce (A78/4)
- Antimicrobial resistance (A78/8)
- Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience (A78/9)
A full list of topics can be found in the provisional agenda, with a complete list of documents available here. All public-facing sessions will be livestreamed and available for playback from the WHA78 website.
Relevant side events
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Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for Universal Health Coverage
Monday, 19 May 2025
18:00 – 19:20 CET
Hosted by the People's Republic of China, Ethiopia, Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand
This side event will discuss the application and added value of digital intelligence technology to promote a PHC approach in accessibility, comprehensiveness, continuity and coordination of people-centered health care, showcase successful country experiences and innovative solutions in digital public infrastructure development and the promotion of people-centered integrated healthcare through digital intelligence, and explore how to maintain the balance between technological innovation and ethical considerations.
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From Plan to Impact: Accelerating the Global Patient Safety Action Plan in a Risk-Prone World
Monday, 19 May 2025
19:30 - 20:50 CET
Hosted by Saudi Arabia (Saudi Patient Safety Center), Maldives, Qatar, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Oman, the International Society for Quality in Health Care, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Global Patient Safety Leaders Group
This side event explores progress, challenges, and opportunities in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030 (GPSAP) across diverse settings. The discussion will highlight innovations in reporting and learning systems, co-production with patients, and alignment with broader goals of health system resilience and universal health coverage and focus on how to move from policy to practice, and from commitment to measurable impact to re-energize the global safety movement and strengthen preparedness for future challenges.
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UHC Act: a new dawn for health care
Philippines
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Building Momentum: Accelerating Action on the global health and care workforce by 2030
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
12:30 - 13:50 CET
Hosted by Philippines, Germany, Morocco, Ireland, and the Frontline Health Workers Coalition World Medical Association
This side event will highlight the importance of sustained investments in education, fair remuneration, safe working conditions, gender equity, and protection from violence and burnout for health workers. It aims to foster dialogue on policy successes, remaining challenges, and strategic frameworks like the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030. It will reinforce the need for political will and financial support to optimize health workforce governance, promote ethical recruitment, and leverage digital health technologies, ensuring equitable distribution and sustainability to meet global health demands.
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Strengthening the Continuum of Care to Achieve Universal Health Coverage
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
18:00 – 19:20 CET
Hosted by India, Bahamas, Malaysia, France, Tanzania and Thailand
Achieving UHC is critical to ensuring equitable access to essential health services for all individuals, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. The continuum of care, which emphasizes seamless, integrated, and person-centered health services across the life course, is a fundamental strategy in realizing the vision of UHC. This Side Event aims to highlight the importance of a seamless continuum of care, share country experiences and best practices, present successful models of strengthening healthcare systems, leverage digital health for improved healthcare service delivery, address key health system challenges, and drive actionable commitments
for UHC progress.
Learn more
18:00 – 19:20 CET
Hosted by India, Bahamas, Malaysia, France, Tanzania and Thailand
Achieving UHC is critical to ensuring equitable access to essential health services for all individuals, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. The continuum of care, which emphasizes seamless, integrated, and person-centered health services across the life course, is a fundamental strategy in realizing the vision of UHC. This Side Event aims to highlight the importance of a seamless continuum of care, share country experiences and best practices, present successful models of strengthening healthcare systems, leverage digital health for improved healthcare service delivery, address key health system challenges, and drive actionable commitments
for UHC progress.
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The Bahamas: Protecting the population with safe and effective medicines and vaccines
Bahamas
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India: Bringing primary health care to remote populations in Chhattisgarh
India
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Implementing Primary Health Care: Building momentum through the Global Coalition of Countries on PHC
Tuesday 20 May 2025
19:30 - 20:50 CET
Hosted by Kazakhstan, Canada, France, and Ethiopia
This event will focus on sharing recent insights on reorienting health systems towards PHC from 9 countries. The event will also explore digital health, disease prevention and maternal health in the context of countries’ PHC efforts, as well as showcase the importance of strengthening health systems, enhancing delivery partner alignment in countries and driving public health impact at the community level. The main obstacles hindering the advancement of PHC-focused reforms to achieve UHC and the synergies with other relevant commitments for PHC will be discussed.
Learn more
19:30 - 20:50 CET
Hosted by Kazakhstan, Canada, France, and Ethiopia
This event will focus on sharing recent insights on reorienting health systems towards PHC from 9 countries. The event will also explore digital health, disease prevention and maternal health in the context of countries’ PHC efforts, as well as showcase the importance of strengthening health systems, enhancing delivery partner alignment in countries and driving public health impact at the community level. The main obstacles hindering the advancement of PHC-focused reforms to achieve UHC and the synergies with other relevant commitments for PHC will be discussed.
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Digital Pathways to Strengthen and Sustain the Global Health Workforce
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
19:30 - 20:50 CET
Hosted by Saudi Arabia, UK, Singapore, World Health Profession Alliance, NHS Health Education England (HEE), The International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)
This side event will explore how digital tools can sustainably transform the recruitment, training, retention, credentialing, and deployment of health professionals. With insights from health authorities, international organizations, and professional associations, the session will highlight how regulatory innovation, credentialing, AI-driven workforce planning, competency-based digital learning, and support for health worker wellbeing can collectively build resilient systems. It will showcase scalable solutions and policy alignment to support WHO’s health workforce and primary healthcare goals under GPW 14.
Learn more
19:30 - 20:50 CET
Hosted by Saudi Arabia, UK, Singapore, World Health Profession Alliance, NHS Health Education England (HEE), The International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)
This side event will explore how digital tools can sustainably transform the recruitment, training, retention, credentialing, and deployment of health professionals. With insights from health authorities, international organizations, and professional associations, the session will highlight how regulatory innovation, credentialing, AI-driven workforce planning, competency-based digital learning, and support for health worker wellbeing can collectively build resilient systems. It will showcase scalable solutions and policy alignment to support WHO’s health workforce and primary healthcare goals under GPW 14.
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Fostering the right to health and universal health coverage for sustainable and self-sufficient health financing
Thursday 22 May 2025
12:30 - 13:50 CET
Hosted by Guyana, Rwanda, Samoa, Mozambique, Barbados, Haiti, and the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of
States (OACPS)
This side event will address the urgent need for sustainable and self-reliant health financing to uphold the right to health, achieve and accelerate UHC. Amid significant cuts from major donors, countries are facing increasing uncertainty that threatens the continuity of essential health services. The event will emphasize the urgent need for governments to prioritize and scale up domestic health financing through innovative solutions tailored to each country's context, along with strengthened governance and accountability frameworks, and it will highlight South-South cooperation as a strategic avenue to enhance regional health sovereignty and resilience.
Learn more
12:30 - 13:50 CET
Hosted by Guyana, Rwanda, Samoa, Mozambique, Barbados, Haiti, and the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of
States (OACPS)
This side event will address the urgent need for sustainable and self-reliant health financing to uphold the right to health, achieve and accelerate UHC. Amid significant cuts from major donors, countries are facing increasing uncertainty that threatens the continuity of essential health services. The event will emphasize the urgent need for governments to prioritize and scale up domestic health financing through innovative solutions tailored to each country's context, along with strengthened governance and accountability frameworks, and it will highlight South-South cooperation as a strategic avenue to enhance regional health sovereignty and resilience.
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Rwanda’s primary health care strategy improves access to essential and life-saving health services
Rwanda
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Towards Universal Health Coverage: The Centrality of Public Financing of Health at Times of Crisis – The Perils of Financialisation
Thursday 22 May 2025
18:00 – 19:20 CET
Hosted by South Africa, G20 Presidency, and Thailand
This side event is central to the UHC financing and the equity agenda. It will acknowledge phenomenon of financialisation of health services which is growing and yet is not well understood, offer lessons in terms of mitigation measures and it will draw on the experience of South Africa in dealing with
the private sector as it strives to expand equitable coverage for its population. Finally, it will offer a general message as to the value of public financing of health systems especially in times of crisis.
Learn more
18:00 – 19:20 CET
Hosted by South Africa, G20 Presidency, and Thailand
This side event is central to the UHC financing and the equity agenda. It will acknowledge phenomenon of financialisation of health services which is growing and yet is not well understood, offer lessons in terms of mitigation measures and it will draw on the experience of South Africa in dealing with
the private sector as it strives to expand equitable coverage for its population. Finally, it will offer a general message as to the value of public financing of health systems especially in times of crisis.
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Investing in Health Amid Crisis: Somalia’s Journey Towards Universal Health Coverage and Health Security
Friday 23 May 2025
12:30 - 13:50 CET
Hosted by Somalia, UK, South Sudan, and UNICEF
Somalia remains at the epicenter of one of the world’s most complex and enduring humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, climate shocks, disease outbreaks, and mass displacement, which has severely strained the country’s fragile health system. Recent cuts in global health financing risk reversing hard-won public health gains. Despite these difficulties, Somalia has launched key strategic reforms. This side event calls on global partners to recognize both the urgent needs and the transformative potential in Somalia’s health sector—highlighting investment opportunities and fostering strategic partnerships to advance universal health coverage and long-term health security.
Learn more
12:30 - 13:50 CET
Hosted by Somalia, UK, South Sudan, and UNICEF
Somalia remains at the epicenter of one of the world’s most complex and enduring humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, climate shocks, disease outbreaks, and mass displacement, which has severely strained the country’s fragile health system. Recent cuts in global health financing risk reversing hard-won public health gains. Despite these difficulties, Somalia has launched key strategic reforms. This side event calls on global partners to recognize both the urgent needs and the transformative potential in Somalia’s health sector—highlighting investment opportunities and fostering strategic partnerships to advance universal health coverage and long-term health security.