The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly concluded with renewed momentum for immunization, amid global calls to scale up action and investment. Member States affirmed the central role of vaccines in advancing health security, resilience, and equity. Several critical outcomes have significant implications for our collective work.
One of the most notable achievements was the adoption of the historic Pandemic Agreement , signaling a global commitment to strengthening future preparedness through equitable access to vaccines and countermeasures. In parallel, Member States approved a 20% increase in WHO's assessed contributions —a vote of confidence in WHO's leadership and a step toward more predictable and sustainable financing, even as significant gaps remain.
Several high-level side events were convened, including on measles and rubella, meningitis, polio and outbreak response, to elevate the critical role of immunization in protecting public health and building resilient systems. The declaration of 17 November as World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day also reinforced the global call to scale up HPV vaccination efforts.
The World Health Assembly also marked the midpoint of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030). As highlighted in WHO's latest progress report , the world is not on track to meet IA2030 targets. Too many children remain unreached, and the consequences are visible in rising outbreaks of measles, yellow fever, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Member States stressed the urgency of reaching "zero-dose" children and strengthening primary health care as the platform for integrated immunization services.
These challenges underscore the importance of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance's upcoming high-level pledging summit on 25 June, co-hosted by the European Union and the Gates Foundation. The summit aims to raise at least US$ 9 billion to support the next phase of Gavi's strategy (2026–2030), which seeks to protect 500 million more children and save at least 8 million lives. The Director-General will join global partners to advocate for robust and sustained support, particularly in the face of climate-related emergencies, conflict, and pandemic threats.
As WHO and partners reaffirm the value of immunization as a health and economic investment—with a return of US$ 54 for every dollar spent—this is a defining moment to align political will, resources, and innovation to close the immunization gap and deliver on our IA2030 vision.
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