Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
At the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the organization's work, with the Assembly holding a general discussion under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility.” Certificates of achievement were presented to Algeria, Australia, Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, Libya, Senegal, and Tunisia for trachoma elimination; Chile for leprosy elimination; Kenya for Human African trypanosomiasis elimination; Suriname and Timor-Leste for malaria elimination; and several countries for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, HBV, and syphilis. Portugal and the United Arab Emirates were recognized for trans-fat elimination, while awards were presented for tobacco control contributions.
WHO Member States agreed to continue negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex under the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The Annex aims to establish a framework for a more equitable response to future pandemics. These negotiations will resume at the seventh IGWG meeting in July 2026, with outcomes to be considered by the Eightieth World Health Assembly in May 2027 or possibly at a special session in 2026. Adoption of the PABS Annex is a key step toward opening the Pandemic Agreement for signature.
Committee A delegates discussed preparedness and response to public health emergencies, reviewed reports on the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005), and the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. The committee also addressed the health impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, emphasizing health protection measures.