WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addresses the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, May 2026. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)

The World Health Assembly wrapped up last Saturday in Geneva amid an international health emergency unfolding in real-time, funding pressures and a geopolitics.

🪞Reality check. The assembly, and its familiar rhythm of scripted diplomacy, got an early jolt, as WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus fast-tracked a declaration of an emergency of international concern for an aggressive Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda – only days after a hantavirus scare in a cruise ship renewed debates over international cooperation.

Meanwhile, geopolitics overpowered certain debates as states squabbled over the Iran war, Ukraine and the occupied Palestinian territories.

👋And then they were 190? While not in the room, the US and Argentina were very much at the centre of discussions.

On Thursday, states decided to strip the US of its voting rights as of May 2027 if it doesn’t settle $280 million in arrears, effectively refusing to recognise its withdrawal until the debt is cleared. (Health Policy Watch)

Schrödinger’s member state. Argentina’s exit was even murkier. Countries passed a deliberately vague resolution – so vague it wasn’t clear if Argentina was still a member or not. Argentina had pressed for a formal acknowledgement, but countries baulked at the legal implications and in the end settled for language stating that “it is not considered that any further action at this stage is desirable”.

🛠️Overhaul incoming. States greenlit the beginning of a consultation process for reforming the global health architecture. Tedros framed it as an extension of his ongoing internal restructuring that has led to thousands of positions being cut.

Next up. Geneva-based consultations will be held in the next year while a task force, which also includes non-UN organisations like Gavi and the Global Fund, drafts two reports over the coming year detailing how the global network of health organisations and funds can better work to deliver health to people on the ground.

The catch: While receiving broad support from states, the initiative has drawn criticism from NGOs who say its restrictive mandate and their exclusion from the task force set it up for failure before it even starts. (Health Policy Watch)

📡Under the radar. A lot more happened than what made the headlines. Health Policy Watch has a detailed rundown of the key takeaways, including a decision to organise a donor conference to rebuild Gaza’s destroyed health infrastructure, the approval of a new 10-year plan to fight antimicrobial resistance after months of deadlock over technology transfer.

— Michelle Langrand