The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding an annual 10-day assembly in Geneva, that started on May 21st and ending May 30th, 2023, which coincides with its 75th anniversary. The 194 member states’ representatives are discussing matters such as future pandemics, polio eradication, and ways to lessen the health crises brought on by the conflict in Ukraine.
At the 10 – day assembly, all the 194 member states are drafting a pandemic treaty which will be up for adoption at the next year’s assembly.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Executive Director of WHO, world leaders should hand over the sovereignty of their nations before the next pandemic arrives. He urged the decision-makers to act wisely before another pandemic, more deadly and widespread than COVID-19, is expected to strike.
“We cannot kick this down the road, the next pandemic is bound to come knocking. Who will implement the necessary modifications if we don’t? And if we don’t make them now, when?” asked Tedros.
A $6.83 billion budget for the years 2024–2025 has also been agreed upon by the assembly, which put to the test national vows to improving the WHO funding model, which was viewed as being too tiny and unduly dependent on the whims of donors.
“A commitment from the generation (to a pandemic accord) is important, because it is this generation that experienced how awful a small virus could be,” said Tedros