Monday, 18 May 2026
WHA Highlights for Media
Day 1 of the 79th World Health Assembly
The Seventy-ninth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA79) opens at 09.00 CEST today, 18 May, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
On its first day, the Health Assembly will meet in Plenary, which will be held in the Assembly Hall at the Palais des Nations; General Committee (Building A, Room XII, Palais des Nations); and Committee A (Auditorium, Building B, WHO Headquarters). The public meetings will be webcast live on the WHO website.
Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Highlights of the day:
- Opening of the Health Assembly, election of the President and officers of the Assembly
- High-level welcome
- Remarks by H.E. Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councilor of the Swiss Confederation
- Address by Special Guest of Honour, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana (preceded by the cultural performance by the Ghana Traditional Dance Ensemble)
- Video statements: H.E. Ahmad Al Sharaa, President of the Syrian Arab Republic; H.E. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; and H.E. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General
- Remarks by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, followed by the Global Health Leaders’ Awards, and cultural performance by Ballet Dominicano en Europa
- Address by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
- Start of the general discussion under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility”
Committee A is scheduled to open at 18.30 CEST today.
The detailed programme of work for the Health Assembly for today, 18 May can be found in the Daily Journal N°1, available in six languages of the United Nations (UN).
Media resources:
- WHA79 agenda, documents, preliminary daily table (tentative programme of work for the entire WHA79), daily journal (detailed programme of work for the day), and the list of participants
- WHA79 media corner: news, speeches and daily updates (recap of the discussions in WHA79). Daily media highlights, prepared in the morning, will be sent to the WHO media list (subscribe here)
- WHA79 live webcast (the recordings of past meetings available here as well)
- Photos for media use available via the WHO Photo Library - please address questions to photos@who.int
- Media centre: a workspace in front of the Salle de Presse (Press Room) in Building A at WHO will be available to journalists
- Media accreditation for WHA79 is being handled by the United Nations Office at Geneva. Request accreditation here (indicate “WHA79” and input the dates 18 to 23 May 2026)
- Download the “WHO Meetings” App (Apple or Google stores) to follow WHA79 on your mobile device
- The list of WHA79 official side events is available here.
- WHO Director-General's opening address at the 79th World Health Assembly will be sent to the media and posted here after delivery
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