The United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) is pleased to engage in the 79th World Health Assembly, contributing to key global dialogues on health, equity, and sustainable development through its participation in official side events.
Bringing together Member States, policymakers, legal experts, civil society, and academia, these discussions aim to advance actionable pathways for strengthening health systems, embedding equity in economic decision-making, and reinforcing rights-based approaches to global health.
We look forward to engaging with partners and stakeholders to foster dialogue, share insights, and contribute to collective action towards health for all.
Follow our updates from WHA79 as we share highlights and key moments from these conversations on UNU-IIGH social media channels.
📅 18 May 2026 🕐 18:00–19:30 (CEST) 📍Garden Room T, WHO Headquarters
Her Turn: Women’s Leadership and Diplomacy for Gender-Responsive Global Health
This WHA side event will bring together senior leaders and emerging voices to explore how diplomacy can amplify women’s leadership, drive gender-responsive global health policies, and engage the next generation of leaders to influence global health governance.
Co-organised by: GWL Voices, United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), PMNCH, Permanent Mission of Spain to the UN
Moderator: Ms. Katherine Urbaez, Health Diplomacy Alliance
Speakers: Dr. Flavia Bustreo, GWL Voices member and part of the PMNCH Governance and Ethics Committee; Ms. Helen Clark, GWL Voices member and PMNCH member; Mr. Rajat Khosla, Executive Director, PMNCH; Dr. Revati Phalkey, Director, UNU-IIGH; Dr. Magda Róbalo, President of Women in Global Health; Ms. Clara Cabrera Brasero, Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations in Geneva.
📅 19 May 2026 🕐 18:00 – 19:30 (CEST) 📍Salle C, WHO Headquarters
The Economics of Health for All: Taking Action
This WHA event will explore how governments can more actively steer innovation, investment, and public procurement to align with population health needs and equity objectives.
Co-organised by: by Public Services International (PSI), Medicus Mundi International (MMI), United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), World Council of Churches, Republic of Colombia, Oxfam, Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2)
Moderator: Nicoletta Dentico, Co-Chair of the Geneva Global Health Hub; Director of the Global Health Justice Programme, Society for International Development.
Speakers: Dr Revati Phalkey, Director, UNU-IIGH; Prof. Mariana Mazzucato, Chair of the WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All; Dr Kalipso Chalkidou, Director, Performance, Financing and Delivery, World Health Organization; Els Torreele, Former Consultant attached to the Council on the Economics of Health for All; Baba Aye, Co-Chair, Geneva Global Health Hub, Health and Social Sector Officer, Public Services International; Prof. David McCoy, Research Lead on Power & Accountability, UNU-IIGH; Dr German Velásquez Arango, Deputy Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN in Geneva; Dr Aquina Thulare, Technical Advisor on National Health Insurance (NHI), National Department of Health, South Africa; Dr Heli Hätönen, Senior Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland; Dr Kerstin Vesna Petrič, Head of the Office for Cooperation with WHO, Ministry of Health, Slovenia.
📅 20 May 2026 🕐 08:00-09:30 (CEST) 📍IFRC HQ, Auditorium B (6th floor)
Prepared Across Borders: Building Resilient Health and Community Systems in a World on the Move
This WHA79 side event will explore how mobility-informed approaches and cross-border collaboration can strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) and build more resilient and inclusive health systems.
Co-organised by: IOM and IFRC
Moderator: Dr. Revati Phalkey, Director, UNU-IIGH
Speakers: Dr Teodoro J. Herbosa, Secretary of Health, Philippines; Dr Mesay Hailu, Director General of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute; Dr Stella Chungong, Director of the Health Security Preparedness (HSP) Department of the WHO Emergencies Programme, WHO; Ms Priya Basu, Executive Head, Pandemic Fund; Ms Marjolaine Nicod, Coordinator and Head of Secretariat of UHC2030.
📅 21 May 2026 🕐 08:00–09:30 (CEST) 📍InterContinental Genève, Switzerland
Self-Care, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Financing Development: Advancing Practical Pathways for Countries
This roundtable will convene senior voices to discuss which data, insights, and narratives can help incorporate self‑care more effectively into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms.
Co-organised by: UNU-CPR, Ministry of Health and Population in Egypt, Bayer
Speakers: Dr. Revati Phalkey, Director of UNU-IIGH, and representatives from the Government of Egypt, UNU-CPR, Bayer, and GSCF
📅 21 May 2026 🕐 13:00–14:20 (CEST) 📍Room XI, Palais des Nations
Advancing Human Rights and Public Health through the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change
This WHA event will scale up Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion engagements, establish a platform for raising awareness and strengthening capacity, policy dialogue and synergies among Member States, development partners, public health practitioners, legal experts, civil society, and academia.
Co-organised by: Republic of Vanuatu, UNU-IIGH, Medicus Mundi International (MMI), and Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2)
Moderator: Dr Remco van de Pas, Policy Research Lead, UNU-IIGH
Speakers: Dr Poinsai Samalston, Director of Corporate Service, Vanuatu Ministry of Health; Dr Revati Phalkey, Director, UNU-IIGH; Nicole Ponce, Climate Justice Lead (WFC); Prof. Jamila Hamdani, Planetary Health Strategy Lead; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General; Nicoletta Dentico, Co-Chair of the Geneva Global Health Hub, Director of the Global Health Justice Programme at Society for International Development; Prof. Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur for Climate and Human Rights (video message); Elias Kapavore, Honourable Minister of Health, Papua New Guinea; Dr Eduardo Samo Gudo, Director-General, National Institute of Health, Mozambique; Dr Teodoro J. Herbosa, Secretary of Health, Philippines; H.E. Álvaro Vison, Permanent Representative of Colombia.
📅 21 May 2026 🕐 15:30–16:50 (CEST) 📍Salle Dunant, Health Diplomacy House
Changing Paradigms of Global Health Governance and Health Security Architecture: Reflections from South and Southeast Asia
This side event situates these challenges within ongoing World Health Assembly discussions and explores how strengthened regional cooperation can complement global multilateral processes.
Co-organised by: Health Diplomacy Alliance, The Asian Collective for Health Systems, UNU-IIGH, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP)
Speakers: Laveesh Bhandari, President, CSEP; David McCoy, Policy Research Lead, UNU-IIGH; Priyadarshini Singh, Fellow, CSEP; Nadine Monteiro, Research Analyst, CSEP; Yik Ying Teo, Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore; Suerie Moon, Co-Director, Global Health Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute.
