The logo and building of the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters are pictured, in Geneva, Switzerland. (KEYSTONE/Salvatore Di Nolfi)

⚕️💪Ending the pandemic needs political courage. The seventy-fourth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), had an ambitious agenda. Still, there were over 30 resolutions adopted ranging on health topics from eye care to diabetes. Speaking to professor Suerie Moon of the Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre, she tells Geneva Solutions what she would like to see happen in the post-WHA era. A key takeaway remains - without political will, action, and courage from member states nothing can be done to address the current and future health crises.

⛔🇷🇺 Russia refuses support for global AIDS declaration, On Tuesday, the United Nations adopted new targets for ending AIDS as a public threat by 2030, a goal that should have been easily agreed to but consensus was lacking. After several days of edits in earlier negotiations by delegates from countries the member states finally adopted the declaration on Tuesday morning but this did not go through without a fight as Russia attempted to make last minute verbal amendments, which were overwhelmingly voted down.

British former soccer player and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham attends the 70th UNICEF Anniversary at the United Nations Headquarters. EPA/ALBA VIGARAY

Unicef celebrity-backed open letter to G7 to donate Covid vaccines. Unicef, the UN’s children agency, and a raft of celebrity supporters have rallied together calling on G7 nations to donate Covid-19 vaccines to low income countries. The likes of David Beckham, Whoppi Goldberg and Orlando Bloom signed the letter warning wealthy nations against hoarding vaccine supplies.

📍 10 June | Health Leadership on the Road to COP26. As the UN’s 26th climate change conference approaches this November, health leaders hope to find ways to protect and promote health by reducing emissions, strengthening resilience and adapting to climate change.

📍 10 June | Cities Can: accelerating progress towards the SDGs. This virtual session hopes to highlight the role of cities in accelerating progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Geneva-based City Cancer Challenge will release a new report reflecting on how cities could work towards addressing health bottlenecks.