The World Health Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), responsible for setting the organization's policies, appointing the Director-General, overseeing finances, and approving the budget. It's a pivotal event where global health priorities are set, strategies are formed, and commitments are made. The decisions made at WHA77 will have far-reaching implications for the health and well-being of people worldwide. 

Proceedings will be webcast live from the WHA77 webpage and simultaneous interpretation will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Elevating the patient's voice on the global stage

The International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO) recognises the immense importance of the WHA and will be actively participating to ensure the patient's voice is heard loud and clear. Our delegation will advocate for patient-centred policies, equitable access to quality and safe healthcare, and meaningful engagement of patients in decision-making processes.

IAPO will be engaging in various activities such as delivering a joint statement, hosting a side event, and contributing to discussions as speakers in other side events. We will also follow closely the discussions around the proposed resolutions, especially the one on Agenda Item 11.1 on institutionalising social participation towards universal health coverage.

Join us at these key events

On Monday, 27 May, IAPO and The Synergist, a non-profit focused on collaborative change programmes, will co-host and co-moderate this side event focused on strengthening the role of patient organizations in achieving universal health coverage. The event will take place from 18:00 to 20:00 CEST at the Novotel Genève Centre (Rue de Zurich 19, 1201, Geneva). 

Welcome drinks will be served from 18:00 to 18:30 and dinner from 20:00 to 21:00 CEST. The event will be broadcast from 18:30 CEST on IAPO's YouTube page.

Click here to visit the event webpage.

Join IAPO and The Synergist in this conversation by registering here.

On Tuesday, 28 May, IAPO will be participating in this invitation-only roundtable co-hosted by the Global Health Literacy Academy and MSD. The event aims to explore and discuss the evidence for integrating women’s cancers into local health programmes in order to increase awareness and understanding of women’s health issues.

On Tuesday, 28 May, from 17:30 to 20:00 CEST at Novotel Genève Centre, this event will draw upon IAPO's Policy Report Improving Breast Cancer Care in the Middle East and Africa, as well as on the Lancet Commission on Women, Power, and Cancer, to galvanize the EMR political commitment in ensuring women's cancer remains a central focus on the agenda of the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in 2025. 

This event is open to all and IAPO will participate in the moderated panel discussions.

Learn more and register here.

1st Global Self-Care Summit – Self-Care in Action: Empowering Health and Well-Being

On Tuesday, 28 May, this invite-only event organised by the Global Self-Care Federation will bring together high-level government officials, representatives of WHO and other UN entities, the private sector and industry alliances, multilateral organizations, and global health NGOs. 

The purpose of the meeting is to raise awareness of the relevance of self-care to achieve global health goals, such as the health-related SDG targets, Universal Health Coverage, NCD prevention and control, and improving access to and the quality of primary health care. It is also an opportunity to continue to build cross-government support for a WHO Resolution on Self-Care and to foster greater collaboration on self-care strategies and approaches to improve health outcomes for all.

IAPO is a member of the Global Self-Care Coalition and will be part of the panel discussions.