76th World Health Assembly – Daily Update: May 23, 2023

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Delegates discuss WHO’s work in emergencies

Country delegates considered a number of elements related to emergencies today, as Elements 14 and parts of Element 15 were grouped together. They provided their views on the reports of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Program (IOAC), on the implementation of the International Health Regulations, on WHO’s work in emergencies, as well as on strengthening of emergency preparedness and response. The countries also discussed the report on the health situation in Ukraine and the report of the Global Health Initiative for Peace.

Delegates praised WHO’s work in emergencies throughout the pandemic and beyond, agreeing with the IOAC’s findings that the work was excellent, but that the Emergencies program was underfunded and overburdened. Some delegates highlighted the role that the Emergency Contingency Fund has played in allowing the organization to respond quickly. They encouraged global efforts to strengthen preparedness for and response to health emergencies, learning the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, and reiterated the importance of an aligned global health architecture, placing WHO at the center. Several spoke of the need to align various initiatives to avoid duplication and strengthen their impact. Some noted the need to continue work to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse. Delegates spoke in support of the Global Health for Peace initiative and the strengthening of clinical trials, and called on WHO for further guidance and support to build capacity in countries in this area, to improve the quality of research and interventions.

The draft resolutions and decisions will be considered on Wednesday, as currently scheduled.

Related documents

Documents A76/7 Rev.1, A76/7 Rev.1 Add.2, A76/7 Rev.1 Add.3, A76/8, A76/9 Rev.1, A76/10, A76/11, A76/12

A76/7 Rev.1 Add.2
Global Health Initiative for Peace

A76/7 Rev.1 Add.3
Financial and administrative implications for the Secretariat of decisions proposed for adoption by the Health Assembly

A76/8
Public Health Emergencies: Preparedness and Response
The Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee of the WHO Health Emergencies Program

A76/9 Rev.1
Implementation of the International Sanitary Regulations (2005)

A76/10
Strengthening WHO preparedness and response to health emergencies
Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience

A76/11
WHO’s work in health emergencies
Public Health Emergencies: Preparedness and Response

A76/12
Implementation of resolution WHA75.11 (2022)

Strategic discussion on the global health workforce priorities for universal health coverage

A Strategic Round Table was held on Protecting and investing in the health and care workforce: an action-oriented agenda for the second half of the SDGs, highlighting the role of political leadership and intersectoral governance in this priority health agenda. The deliberations and the results of the Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Healthrecently held under the motto “Protect, Invest, Together”served as the basis for the round table.

Opening the session, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reminded delegates that “Everything we’re discussing this week, universal health coverage, global health security and the Sustainable Development Goals, all It depends on the health workers.”

The session was moderated by Sir David Behan, Non-Executive Director, NHS, UK, and featured keynote speakers such as Mr. Enzo Bondioni, Executive Director, FDI – World Dental Federation; Dr. Alexandru Rafila, Minister of Health of Romania; Dr. Lino Tom, Minister of Health of Papua New Guinea; HE Minata Samate Oessuma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, African Union; Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF; Dr. Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director of Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank / former Minister of Health of Colombia; Professor Senait Fisseha, Vice President, Global Programs, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation; and Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for Southeast Asia.

The global shortage of health workers has decreased significantly from 18 million in 2013 to 15 million in 2020 and is projected to be around 10 million by 2030. However, the data largely represent a pre-COVID-19 trend and it hides deep regional disparities: progress is slower in the African and Eastern Mediterranean Regions and in Small Island Developing States. It is clear that urgent action is needed now to close the gap.

Speakers highlighted key challenges facing the global health workforce today, including maldistribution, inefficiencies, gender disparities, an aging workforce, and poor working conditions, resulting from a lack of support, protection and respect for labor rights that further aggravate the challenges.

The roundtable concluded with calls to action to protect and invest in the health and care workforce and strengthen the capacity of the national health system if the world is to achieve the goals of universal health coverage and global health security. Recommended measures include:

• protect existing health and care staff, including all occupational health and safety measures, safe staffing and fair remuneration;
• protect fiscal space for social spending (education, health, social protection) and allocate the necessary budget to strengthen the health and care workforce;
• invest in further education and supply of health professionals to meet the health needs of the population;
• investing in job creation in the health economy: with a focus on national capacity for essential public health functions, including emergency preparedness and response and primary health care;
• invest in reducing gender inequalities between health and care workers, including the gender pay gap; and
• Strengthen implementation by Member States of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

Concluding the Strategic Roundtable, Dr. Tedros said: “We know the problem and the solutions. What we miss is action and accountability. With a sense of urgency, it can be done.”