Global Parliamentarians Take the Stage at WHA78: A New Chapter in Health Governance
The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), held in Geneva in 2025, emerged as a landmark moment in the global health landscape, defined by sweeping decisions and a renewed focus on the intersection of politics and public health. This year’s Assembly not only saw the historic adoption of the much-anticipated Pandemic Agreement, a binding global framework to improve pandemic preparedness and response, but also ratified a 20% increase in Assessed Contributions—the mandatory membership fees from Member States that support the World Health Organization (WHO). Together, these developments signaled a critical shift toward more robust global health governance and a collective political will to strengthen health systems worldwide.
Amid these monumental steps, the Assembly also marked another pivotal milestone: the official inauguration of the WHA Global Parliamentary Dialogue, a new annual platform that places parliamentarians at the heart of global health decision-making. Organized in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), this dedicated forum provides a space for lawmakers from around the world to engage directly in the deliberations of the Assembly, highlighting their indispensable role in translating global health commitments into tangible national action.
Elevating the Role of Parliamentarians in Global Health
The creation of the WHA Global Parliamentary Dialogue reflects a growing recognition that health is not merely a technical or clinical domain—it is inherently political. Through their powers of legislation, fiscal allocation, policy oversight, and public advocacy, parliamentarians shape the health trajectory of nations. Whether it involves passing pandemic preparedness laws, allocating funds for maternal health programs, or scrutinizing the performance of national health agencies, lawmakers have the authority and responsibility to bring WHO’s recommendations to life on the ground.
Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the IPU, opened the Dialogue by emphasizing this essential partnership between the IPU and WHO. “The partnership between the IPU and WHO has been key in recognizing the role that parliaments play in health and in opening a space at the World Health Assembly for bringing together parliamentarians and other stakeholders,” he stated. In particular, he underscored the critical role parliaments will now play in the ratification, domestication, and implementation of the newly adopted Pandemic Agreement—a global compact that requires formal legislative endorsement and adaptation at the national level.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, welcomed the initiative as a foundational step in strengthening WHO’s engagement with political actors. “We are proud of our partnership with the IPU in advancing global health,” he said. “Your presence sends a powerful message about your commitment to health equity, resilience, and global solidarity. It reflects the growing recognition that global health is not only a technical domain—it is profoundly political.”
An Agenda Anchored in Action
Co-chaired by Honourable Christian Lohr, Member of the Swiss Parliament and member of the IPU Committee on Health, and Elisa Scolaro, WHO’s Parliamentary Affairs lead in the External Relations team, the event brought together a diverse group of parliamentarians from various WHO regions. The goal: to explore how lawmakers can more effectively implement the resolutions and policy frameworks adopted during WHA78, especially those related to pandemic preparedness and health systems financing.
The session opened with a keynote address from Daniel Thornton, Director of the Department of Coordinated Resource Mobilization at WHO. He focused on the urgent need for sustainable and flexible health financing. With the WHO’s funding still overly reliant on voluntary contributions from a limited number of donors, Thornton stressed the importance of predictable, long-term public financing. “As budget approvers, parliamentarians are uniquely positioned to ensure their countries invest in WHO’s core mandate—promoting and protecting Health for All,” he said.
From Pandemic Agreement to National Policy
Another major theme of the Dialogue was the critical next step following the global adoption of the Pandemic Agreement—ensuring its swift ratification and integration into national legal systems. Dr. Jaouad Mahjour, who leads WHO’s Secretariat for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and International Health Regulations, called on parliamentarians to act without delay.
“The success of this agreement hinges on timely and committed action at the national level,” he explained. “Parliamentarians must play a leading role in enacting laws, creating oversight mechanisms, and ensuring cross-sectoral coordination to operationalize the Pandemic Agreement.”
In response, Honourable Sobita Gautam, Member of the Federal Parliament of Nepal and member of the IPU Committee on Health, emphasized the need to prioritize health financing in national budgets. “We must return to our parliaments with a unified, urgent message: global health financing is not optional—it is essential,” she declared. “Health must be a strategic priority in national budgets and foreign policy. Investing in strong, equitable health systems is critical—not just for our own citizens, but for global security, economic resilience, and human dignity.”
Intergenerational Voices and Inclusive Governance
A highlight of the Dialogue was the intervention from Katja Čič, a representative of the WHO Youth Council. Speaking on behalf of the world’s younger generations, Čič called for meaningful, intergenerational partnership in shaping global health policy. “Our presence is more than symbolic,” she said. “It is a necessary and powerful reminder that the future of health is not something we can plan for youth—it must be built with youth.”
Her remarks were echoed by several other civil society voices. Beth Stinchcombe, Liaison Officer to the WHO from the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), made a compelling case for gender equity and youth inclusion. “The Pandemic Agreement will only be as strong as the laws and budgets behind it,” she said. “To build resilient health systems, we must legislate for gender equity, invest in the care economy, and center the voices of women and young people—not as afterthoughts, but as the foundation of a just and healthy future.”
A Chorus of Commitments from Around the World
The Dialogue was open to broader participation, and lawmakers from Guinea, Iran, Mauritius, Namibia, and Senegal made powerful contributions, alongside representatives from multilateral and civil society organizations such as the WHO Civil Society Commission, the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Global Alliance for Sepsis.
Their remarks reflected a shared understanding that global health challenges require collective responsibility and political accountability. The importance of parliamentarians’ legislative and fiscal roles was reiterated by Honourable Mokhothu Makhalanyane, Chairperson of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees of Health (NEAPACOH). He spoke of the need for parliaments to ensure domestic health financing aligns with universal health coverage goals, supporting areas such as maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, and the prevention and treatment of TB and noncommunicable diseases.
“In these difficult times, with sharp cuts to Official Development Assistance (ODA), NEAPACOH welcomes the opportunity to partner with multi-constituency alliances such as PMNCH to ensure that the health and well-being of the most vulnerable and marginalized women, children, and adolescents is prioritized in national development plans,” Makhalanyane said.
Sustaining the Momentum
Concluding the session, Honourable Christian Lohr reflected on the enduring partnerships that have shaped WHO’s approach to parliamentary engagement. As co-rapporteur of the 2019 IPU resolution on universal health coverage, he reminded participants that many of the lessons from past Assemblies remain relevant today—especially the need for coordinated legislative action in times of crisis.
“We look forward to continuing this momentum and working together with all of you to ensure even greater participation of parliamentarians in this important forum,” Lohr said. “Our shared goal must be to make parliamentary engagement the norm, not the exception, in global health decision-making spaces.”
As part of its ongoing collaboration with the IPU, WHO will support a comprehensive programme of initiatives to help parliamentarians implement the outcomes of WHA78 in their countries. This includes capacity-building workshops, technical assistance, and policy dialogues designed to bridge the gap between global resolutions and local realities.
In addition, Member States are being encouraged to include parliamentarians in their official delegations to future WHA gatherings, further reinforcing the message that politics and health must move forward in lockstep.
The message from Geneva is clear: Parliamentarians are no longer observers in the global health arena—they are vital architects of its future.
