At the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in Geneva this week, Member States adopted more than 20 decisions and 13 resolutions on health issues including stroke, liver disease, tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance, diagnostic imaging, emergency care, haemophilia, precision medicine and radiation.
The Assembly also covered a range of political and administrative issues, including the agreement to reform the global health architecture through a Member State-led, WHO-hosted joint process.
At the closing of the Assembly, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented a ceremonial gavel in appreciation to the President of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, Dr Víctor Atallah Lajam, Minister of Health of the Dominican Republic, and to the Chairs of Committee A, Dr Timur Sultangaziyev, Deputy Minister of Health, Kazakhstan, and Committee B, Dr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, Ghana.
"Every resolution you adopt, every agreement you reach, only has value when it changes what happens in a clinic, in a community, or in a household," said Dr Tedros in his closing remarks.
"When a health worker has what they need to do their job; when a child is vaccinated; when a mother survives childbirth; when an outbreak is contained before it spreads. That is now the task before us… It will require political commitment, sustained financing, and continued cooperation between Member States, partners and communities."
Countries agree critical amendments to the WHO Code on ethical international recruitment of health workers
Member States today approved a resolution to amend the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (the Code) and to strengthen its implementation, following Member State-led consultations in the lead up to the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly. The resolution marks an important step toward the vision that everyone, everywhere can access competent and motivated health and care workers – a foundation for both universal health coverage and global health security.
Key revisions to the Code include the incorporation of provisions covering health personnel recruited internationally for employment as care workers and clarification on the applicability of the Code's recommendations during emergencies. The Code also encourages co-investment in health systems and the health workforce to ensure international recruitment generates proportional benefits for both source and destination countries.
These additions were recommended by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) appointed by the WHO Director-General. In its final report, the EAG also noted the progress in health workforce data availability, provision of migrant health worker rights, and the integration of ethical recruitment principles in national policies. The report also highlighted areas requiring improvement in the Code's implementation, including greater support for strengthening of health systems in source countries.
Since its adoption by the Sixty-third World Health Assembly in 2010, the Code has undergone three rounds of reviews to assess its relevance and effectiveness. This first update in 16 years – triggered by the third review – marks a milestone and an opportunity to renew global commitment to advancing health equity and further fostering lobal collaboration on the ethical governance of international mobility of health personnel.
