Information in this document is accurate as of 18 May 2025 17:00

Journal  No. 1  19 May 2025

This Journal is intended to give delegates, representatives and other participants advance indications of the Health Assembly’s tentative programme of work. Additional information can be found in the Guide for delegates to the World Health Assembly (document A78/DIV./2).

The Journal does not constitute an official record of the Health Assembly’s proceedings. The Journal is published in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish on every working day during the Health Assembly.

N° 1 Programme of meetings for Monday, 19 May 2025

Time	Plenary Room XIX	Committee A Room XX	Others Room XXIII
09:00	First Plenary meeting
Immediately after conclusion of Item 1.3 in Plenary			General Committee
14:30	Second Plenary meeting
Upon commencement of the general discussion		First Meeting
18:00		as required

Table of contents

1. Date and working hours

2. Programme of work of the Health Assembly

3. Meetings and official side-events

4. Announcements

5. Provisional list of speakers for the general discussion in Plenary

Travel expense reimbursement

In accordance with resolution WHA50.1 (1997), special consideration will be given to delegates whose countries are classified as least developed countries by the United Nations. WHO will cover the cost of an economy/tourist airfare by the most direct route to Geneva for one delegate of such countries. However, following the rules set forth by the World Health Assembly, WHO will not provide per diem or any other non-airfare expenditures. Please note that reimbursements will be made at the Inquiry Desk in Geneva, upon presentation of the air ticket and invoice. Reimbursements will take at least 24 hours to process, therefore requests made after Tuesday, 20 May 2025 (COB) will not be taken into consideration.

1.  Date and working hours

The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly will open on Monday, 19 May 2025 at 09:00. The working hours of the Health Assembly are from 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:30 to 17:30 (CEST). The Health Assembly will close no later than Tuesday, 27 May 2025, as decided by the Executive Board at its 156th session.

2. Programme of work of the Health Assembly

Monday, 19 May 2025

First Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

Opening of the Health Assembly

Election of the President

Election of the five Vice-Presidents, the Chairs of the main committees, and establishment of the General Committee

General Committee[1] — Building E Room XXIII

Immediately after conclusion of Item 1.3 in Plenary

Examination and submission to the Health Assembly of recommendations on such questions as:

-  Adoption of the provisional agenda as proposed by the Executive Board

-  Addition of supplementary items, if any, to the provisional agenda

-  Initial allocation to the main committees of items of the agenda

-  Deferment of any item to a future Health Assembly

-  Programme of work of the Health Assembly

First Plenary meeting (resumed) — Building E Room XIX

Immediately after conclusion of the General Committee

Opening of the Health Assembly

-  Presidential address

Adoption of the agenda and allocation of items to the main committees

-  Documents A78/1 Rev.1 and A78/1 Rev.1 Add.1

Report of the Executive Board at its 155th and 156th sessions

-  Document A78/2

Address by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General

-  General discussion

-  Document A78/3

Second Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

14:30

-  General discussion

First meeting of Committee A — Building E Room XX

Upon commencement of the General discussion

Opening of the Committee[2]

Health emergency preparedness and response

·  Item 16.2

Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

-  Documents A78/10, A78/10 Add.1 and A78/INF./9

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Third and fourth Plenary meetings — Building E Room XIX

09:00 and 14:30

Reports of the main committees

High-level segment

Reports of the main committees

-  General discussion

Second and third meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

Upon commencement of the General discussion and 14:30 (third meeting may be extended to 18:30, if required)

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 11.2

Proposed programme budget 2026–2027

-  Documents A78/6, A78/6 Corr.1, A78/6 Add.1 and A78/INF./8

·  Item 11.1

Governance reform

o   Secretariat implementation plan on reform (decision WHA75(8) (2022))

-  Document A78/4

o   Process of handling and investigating potential allegations against WHO Directors-General (decision WHA77(15) (2024))

-  Document A78/5

Committee on Credentials — Building E Room XXII

14:00

Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Fifth Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

-  Report of the Committee on Credentials

Admission of new Members and Associate Members [if any]

-  General discussion

Fourth and fifth meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Health emergency preparedness and response

·  Item 16.1

Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience

-  Document A78/9

·  Item 16.3

Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)

-  Documents A78/11, A78/INF./6 and A78/INF./7

·  Item 16.4

The Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

-  Document A78/12

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 17.1

WHO’s work in health emergencies

-  Document A78/13 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(31)

·  Item 17.4

Universal Health and Preparedness Review

-  Document A78/4

The role of the global coordination mechanism on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in WHO’s work on multistakeholder engagement for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report on independent evaluation

-  Document A78/INF./2

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 13.1

Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

o   Reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases through strengthening prevention and control of diabetes (resolution WHA74.4 (2021))

o   Oral health (resolution WHA74.5 (2021))

o   Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2030 (resolution WHA77.3 (2024) and decision WHA74(14) (2021))

o   Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem and its associated goals and targets for the period 2020–2030 (resolution WHA73.2 (2020))

-  Documents A78/4, EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(18), EB156(19), EB156(20), EB156(21) and EB156(22)

·  Item 13.2

Mental health and social connection

-  Document A78/4

First meeting of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

14:30

Opening of the Committee[3]

Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan

-  Document A78/16

Budget and finance matters

·  Item 21.1

Results report 2024 (Programme budget 2024–2025: performance assessment) and financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

-  Documents A78/17, A78/17 Add.1, A78/17 Add.2, A78/18 and A78/INF./3

·  Item 21.2

Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025

-  Documents A78/19, A78/20 and A78/INF./4

·  Item 21.3

Sustainable financing: WHO investment round

-  Document A78/21

General Committee — Building E Room XXIII

17:30

Thursday, 22 May 2025

Sixth and seventh meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Health emergency preparedness and response

·  Item 16.1 continued

Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience

-  Document A78/9

·  Item 16.3 continued

Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)

-  Documents A78/11, A78/11 Add.1 and A78/11 Add.2

·  Item 16.4 continued

The Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

-  Document A78/12

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 17.1 continued

WHO’s work in health emergencies

-  Document A78/13 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(31)

·  Item 17.4 continued

Universal Health and Preparedness Review

-  Document A78/4

·  Item 17.2

Implementation of resolution WHA75.11 (2022)

-  Document A78/14

·  Item 17.3

Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem

-  Document A78/15 and EB156/2025/REC/1, resolution EB156.R3

·  Item 17.5

Poliomyelitis

-  Document A78/4

Second and third meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Budget and finance matters

·  Item 21.4

Scale of assessments 2025–2026 [if any]

-  Document A78/22

·  Item 21.5

Status of collection of assessed contributions, including Member States in arrears in the payment of their contributions to an extent that would justify invoking Article 7 of the Constitution

-  Document A78/23

·  Item 21.6

Special arrangements for settlement of arrears

-  Document A78/35

·  Item 21.7

Assessment of new Members and Associate Members [if any]

·  Item 21.8

Amendments to the Financial Regulations and Financial Rules

Audit and oversight matters

·  Item 22.1

Report of the External Auditor

-  Document A78/25

·  Item 22.2

Report of the Internal Auditor

-  Document A78/26

·  Item 22.3

External and internal audit recommendations: progress on implementation

-  Document A78/27

Staffing matters

·  Item 23.1

Human resources: annual report

-  Document A78/28

·  Item 23.2

Amendments to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, resolutions EB156.R5 and EB156.R6

·  Item 23.3

Report of the International Civil Service Commission

-  Document A78/4

·  Item 23.4

Report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board

-  Document A78/29

·  Item 23.5

Appointment of representatives to the WHO Staff Pension Committee

-  Document A78/30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board  
Management, legal and governance matters

·  Item 24.1

Prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

-  Document A78/4

Friday, 23 May 2025

Sixth Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

09:00

Awards

-  Document A78/INF./1

Executive Board: election

Eighth and ninth meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

Immediately following the closure of Plenary and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 13.3

Universal health coverage

o   Primary healthcare

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(14), EB156(15), EB156(16) and EB156(17)

·  Item 13.4

Communicable diseases

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(23) and EB156(24)

o   Global road map on defeating meningitis by 2030

-  Document A78/4

·  Item 13.5

Substandard and falsified medical products

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(25)

·  Item 13.6

Standardization of medical devices nomenclature

-  Document A78/4

·  Item 13.7

Health and care workforce

o   WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(26)

o   Global strategy on human resources for health: workforce 2030

-  Documents s A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(27)

·  Item 13.8

Draft global traditional medicine strategy 2025–2034

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.1 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(28)

·  Item 13.9

Global strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decisions EB156(29) and EB156(30)

Fourth and fifth meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Reassignment of Indonesia from the South-East Asia Region to the Western Pacific Region

-  Document A78/31

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board  
Management, legal and governance matters

·  Item 24.2

Global strategies and plans of action that are scheduled to expire within one year

o   Global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery 2021–2025

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.3 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(34)

o   Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(35)

o   Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(36)

o   Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition 2012–2025

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.3 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(37)

Saturday, 24 May 2025

Tenth and eleventh meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

-  Document A78/7 Rev.1

Antimicrobial resistance

-  Documents A78/8 and A78/8 Add.1

Sixth and seventh meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board  
Management, legal and governance matters

·  Item 24.2 continued

Global strategies and plans of action that are scheduled to expire within one year

o   Global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery 2021–2025

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.3 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(34)

o   Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(35)

o   Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017–2025

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(36)

o   Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition 2012–2025

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.3 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(37)

·  Item 24.3

International Health Regulations (2005): proposed procedure for the correction of errors in the text of the instrument

-  Documents A78/4, A78/INF./5 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(38)

Monday, 26 May 2025

Twelfth and thirteenth meetings of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00 and 14:30

Review of and update on matters considered by the Executive Board

·  Item 18.1

The impact of chemicals, waste and pollution on human health

-  Documents A78/4 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(32)

·  Item 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)

·  Item 18.3

Climate change and health

-  Documents A78/4, A78/4 Add.2 and EB156/2025/REC/1, decision EB156(40)

Eighth and ninth meetings of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00 and 14:30

Agreements with intergovernmental organizations

-  Document A78/32

Collaboration within the United Nations system and with other intergovernmental organizations

-  Documents A78/33 and A78/33 Add.1

Matters for information

·  Item 28.1 progress reports

-  Documents A78/34

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

A.    Strengthening diagnostic capacity (resolution WHA76.5 (2023))

B.    WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, 2019–2030 (resolution WHA76.14 (2023))

C.   Integrated emergency, critical and operative care for universal health coverage and protection from health emergencies (resolution WHA76.2 (2023))

D.   Global strategy on infection prevention and control (resolution WHA75.13 (2022))

E.    Strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access (resolution WHA74.6 (2021))

F.    Eradication of dracunculiasis (resolution WHA64.16 (2011))

G.   Global action on patient safety (resolution WHA72.6 (2019) and decision WHA74(13) (2021))

Pillar 2: One billion more people better protected from health emergencies

H.   Enhancement of laboratory biosafety (resolution WHA58.29 (2005))

I.      Smallpox eradication: destruction of variola virus stocks (resolution WHA60.1 (2007))

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

J.     WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and well-being sustainably through healthy environments (decision WHA74(24) (2021))

K.    Plan of action on climate change and health in small island developing States (decision WHA72(10) (2019))

L.    Behavioural sciences for better health (resolution WHA76.7 (2023))

M.   Accelerating action on global drowning prevention (resolution WHA76.18 (2023))

N.   WHO global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children (resolution WHA69.5 (2016)) and Ending violence against children through health systems strengthening and multisectoral approaches (resolution WHA74.17 (2021))

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Fourteenth meeting of Committee A — Building E Room XX

09:00

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Tenth meeting of Committee B — Building E Room XVII

09:00

Finalization of resolutions/decisions and reports

Seventh Plenary meeting — Building E Room XIX

Immediately after conclusion of Committees A and B

Reports of the main committees

Closure of the Health Assembly

3. Meetings and official side-events

A number of group meetings and official side-events will be held at the Palais des Nations during the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly. Official side-events and group meetings are listed on the governing bodies website:

https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA78-other-meetings/A78_other_meetings.pdf

The strategic roundtable sessions will be webcast in the six UN languages. The webcasts can be viewed on Mac and PCs, as well as all mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows-enabled phones.

Arabic:             https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=ar

Chinese:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=zh

English:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=en

French:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=fr

Russian:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=ru  

Spanish:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_Strategic_Roundtables/index.html?lang=es

4.  Announcements

For IT support, please send an email to [email protected].          

The public sessions will be webcast in the six UN languages. The webcasts can be viewed on Mac and PCs, as well as all mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows-enabled phones.

Arabic:            https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=ar

Chinese:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=zh

English:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=en

French:           https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=fr

Russian:          https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=ru

Spanish:         https://player.4am.ch/who/20250519-27_WHA78/index.html?lang=es

Documents for the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly can be accessed on the Internet through the WHO website (https://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha78.html).

The World Health Assembly application allows you to receive updates on the WHA78 programme of work and access documentation directly on your mobile device. Scan the QR code or search for “WHO Events” in the Apple or Google Stores on your phone.

 

Information concerning badge distribution, arrangements for conduct of discussion in meetings, interpretation, and written and verbal statements, can be found in the Guide for delegates to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly.

5.  Provisional list of speakers for the general discussion in Plenary

Delegates can view the speaker’s list at any given time: https://publicspace.who.int/sites/signage/agenda/p/los.aspx

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