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The World Health Assembly (WHA) is an annual gathering of Ministers of Health, health leaders and delegations from all 193 United Nations Member States. In addition to official WHA plenary and committee meetings, there are also many events held on the sidelines of WHA.

World Health Assembly

Background
At its 41st Session in February 2010, the United Nations Statistical Commission proposed celebrating 20 October 2010 as World Statistics Day (<a href="https://www.un.org/en/events/statisticsday/decision41-109.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Decision 41/109</a>).

Acknowledging that the production of reliable, timely statistics and indicators of countries’ progress is indispensable for informed policy decisions and monitoring implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the General Assembly adopted on 3 June 2010 <a href="http://undocs.org/A/RES/64/267&amp;lang=E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution 64/267</a>, which officially designated 20 October 2010 as the <a href="http://unstats.un.org/unsd/wsd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-ever World Statistics Day</a> under the general theme “Celebrating the many achievements of official statistics.”

In 2015, with <a href="https://undocs.org/a/res/69/282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution 96/282</a>, the General Assembly decided to designate 20 October 2015 as <a href="https://worldstatisticsday.org/blog.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the second World Statistics Day</a> under the general theme “Better data, better lives,” as well as to celebrate World Statistics Day every five years on 20 October.

United Nations

Data for public good

World Statistics Day 2025

The story of Seyolo Zantoko, who as a freshly graduated doctor of Congolese descent in France, struggled with his family to integrate in a small rural village, and ended up being considered as one of the most respected doctors in the area.
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International Film Club
The arts, and particularly film, have a special ability to transport us to other places, times, and realities and give us insight into the ways and the whys of the world. The International Relations Council&rsquo;s International Film Club explores international realities and global issues using films of the world and about the world. The group meets monthly to discuss an award-winning film and the international topics, themes, and issues it raises. Subject-matter experts guide our experience, preparing us with questions and other context before viewing the film and leading the conversation during our monthly meeting. Films, with subtitles if needed, are readily available on common streaming services. Individuals of all backgrounds, interests, and perspectives are welcome &ndash; we just ask that you bring an open mind, thoughtful questions, and common courtesy. Registration is free but helps us with planning.
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Registration Required

International Relations Council (IRC)

English

International Film Club: The African Doctor

Join us on May 26 at 9 a.m.&nbsp;ET for a special SwitchPoint Virtual Exchange with the&nbsp;<a href="https://event.switchpointideas.com/fl_2022">SwitchPoint Future League</a>. Coinciding with World Health Assembly week,&nbsp;members of the Future League will host an inclusive and interactive event highlighting what they have learned and what they are working toward.
<a href="https://www.intrahealth.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IntraHealth International</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Global Fund</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.one.org/us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ONE Campaign Africa</a>&nbsp;selected six outstanding young leaders from six African countries for the SwitchPoint Future League, a&nbsp;consortium of young people leading the way toward a healthier future.
The 2022 Future League members are committed and inspiring and they are making real change. Members include a drone pilot who helps deliver medication, a health economist, an epidemiologist and global health security specialist, a cutting-edge multimedia artist, a renowned singer-songwriter, and a nurse/advocacy leader.
Together, they are using their unique voices and perspectives to raise awareness among their peers and world leaders about the critical importance of prioritizing health, health financing, global health security, and health access and equity for all. Throughout the year, they are sending in transmissions that dig into pressing health issues through interviews with their peers, policy leaders, children, artists, and other advocates and are making a creative and powerful stand for the healthy future we all hope for.
Be part of shaping the future we all want and share your ideas and dreams with us. The program will feature transmissions, interviews, special performances, and a high-level panel about the health challenges we&rsquo;re facing today and their solutions.
<a href="https://event.switchpointideas.com/fl_2022#yearvideo">Click here to watch transmissions from the Future League.</a>

SwitchPoint

SwitchPoint Future League Virtual Exchange

To meet current and emerging health needs and achieve its health targets Africa urgently needs to develop and maintain a robust, well-motivated, and empowered health workforce that is equitably distributed and fit for purpose for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Health Security.
This side-event aims to convene African government representatives, academia, private sector stakeholders and development partners for dialogue centered on key commitments and progress made on the Human Resources for Health agenda as envisioned by the African Union.&nbsp;
The discussion will highlight:
1. The need for a review of curricula for training of healthcare workers to align with evolving heath needs in the African region, including epidemics, climate change, non-communicable diseases and the digital revolution.
2. Practical solutions to facilitate optimization of digital health for health workforce training, management and service delivery.&nbsp;
3. Strengthening of regional partnerships and collaboration towards research, innovation and entrepreneurship for the creation of an efficient and empowered health workforce for Africa.&nbsp;

Pathfinder International

Amref Health Africa

World Health Organization (WHO)

An Enabled, Fit-for-Purpose Health Workforce for Africa

Objective&nbsp;
The side event aims to bring together multiple countries in Africa to generate high level conversation, debate and political solutions to boost progress in the global efforts to adapt and mitigate against climate change effects on universal health coverage with women and youth at the centre.
 Expected outcomes&nbsp; &nbsp;
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li>The initiation of multi-sectoral South-to-south dialogue on climate change and health in line with the Libraville declaration on health and environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Formation of Pan-African Multilateral Partnership for Climate Change and Health as a means for scaling up the climate action&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Civil societies and governments showcase achievements towards sustainable adaptation and mitigation measures against climate change with women, youth and universal health coverage in focus.&nbsp;

The Global Climate & Health Alliance

 Impact of Climate Change on Health & Women in Africa

On the occasion of the seventy-fifth World Health Assembly, UICC is organising a&nbsp;workshop with a variety of stakeholders to&nbsp;explore and advocate for collaborative and integrated approaches and partnerships&nbsp;to optimise national, regional and global investments, from programmatic, technical and financial perspectives.
The meeting will take place in Geneva and virtually on Sunday 22 May, with the objective to consult stakeholders on their level of interest, synergies and criteria for such a partnership approach on women&rsquo;s cancers in Francophone Africa.
Interested?&nbsp;If you would like to learn more about the workshop or are interested in attending, kindly contact the team at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:regionalcb@uicc.org">regionalcb@uicc.org</a>.&nbsp;

In-Person

Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

French

Building bridges: Towards integrated and collaborative approaches for women’s cancers in Francophone Africa

Future-proofing Africa - Securing Tomorrow Through People-Centred Health System Redesign

Global Health Strategies

Dalberg

Future-proofing Africa - Securing Tomorrow Through People-Centred Health System Redesign

We will look at
<ul>
<li>opportunities in Africa</li>
<li>best tips for success</li>
<li>challenges that remain</li>
</ul>

UNDP Africa

Symposium on Solidarity of Women Entrepreneurs in Africa and Japan

Urban Africa needs an investment strategy for more sustainable cities grounded in evidence, that responds with urgency to the needs of urban residents and matched by the investment priorities of funding institutions. L'Afrique maintenant ! Il est urgent d'investir dans des villes plus durables. L'Afrique urbaine a besoin d'une strat&eacute;gie d'investissement pour des villes plus durables, fond&eacute;e sur des donn&eacute;es factuelles, qui r&eacute;ponde d'urgence aux besoins des citadins et qui corresponde aux priorit&eacute;s d'investissement des institutions de financement.

RISE AFRICA

Africa now! An urgent case for investment towards more sustainable cities and towns

With the adoption of the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular Migration (GCM) in 2018, there has been growing international cooperation to make migration work for all. Likewise, attention to migration and refugees has increased, as has the number of persons affected, leading to widespread concern over the challenge of securing data on persons affected, their needs and the drivers of migration. There is a specific need for data in urban transit hubs, where mixed migration is the norm, as traditional sources of descriptive information do not capture the demographic profile of migrants, their needs and motivations. There is also a very specific need to gather more data on youth migrants, both male and female, as they represent a disproportionately large share of migration flows into transit cities. Many are unaccompanied and without adequate fiscal or social resources, and their needs define key areas of potential intervention to maximize their prospects for improving their capabilities and contributing meaningfully to their communities of origin, transit and/or destination. In line with objective 1 of the Global Compact on Migration, and in an effort to inform interventions aimed at reducing vulnerabilities among young migrants, UNFPA in partnership with the Mixed Migration Centre of the Danish Refugee Council, and with the support of the Government of Denmark, conducted a study on policy and service needs of young international migrants in 7 major transit cities in two phases between 2017 and 2021. The study paid particular attention to the young migrants&rsquo; access to essential services including Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), identification documentation, and protection, including from Gender Based Violence. Phase 1 of the study was conducted in four cities (Cairo, Lebanon, Nairobi, Tunis) in 2017/18 while phase 2 was conducted in three cities in West Africa (Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou) in 2019-2021.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Youth Mixed Migration in Gateway Cities in West Africa

Africa experiences more outbreaks and health emergencies than any other continent of the world, many of which are preventable or controllable with proven public health interventions. Across the continent, over 260 epidemics, disasters and other public health emergencies occurred between 2016 and 2018, and the frequency of these events is expected to increase.
Over the past several years, African countries have made significant progress addressing health emergencies guided by various frameworks, including the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005), the Technical Guidelines for Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR), as well as countries&rsquo; National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS). For example, the median time to end outbreaks in the WHO African Region has decreased from 131 days in 2017 to 45 days in 2019. However, challenges remain as public health crises continue to cost lives, overwhelm health systems and disrupt livelihoods.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for robust country capacity for health emergencies in Africa and around the world, sparking more than 200 global recommendations, including by the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness &amp; Response (IPPPR), the International Health Regulations (IHR) Review Committee and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAC) for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. At the 150th meeting of the WHO Executive Board in January, the Director-General committed to develop proposals, in consultation with Member States, on Strengthening the Global Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience, which will be presented at the 2022 World Health Assembly.
With a view towards a strengthened global architecture for emergencies for better health security, African Member States, with special gratitude to the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO AFRO and EMRO, with Africa CDC and partners will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2022 World Health Assembly to examine the evolution of Africa&rsquo;s emergency, preparedness, and response architecture. Recognizing the ongoing leadership of the co-hosting African governments, the event will highlight joint projects by WHO and Africa CDC, and will explore the role of global partnerships in bolstering health security in Africa.

World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa

African Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response  and Resilience

Noma is a gangrenous infection starting in the mouth caused by extreme poverty, malnutrition and poor hygiene The disease kills up to 90 percent of people it affects. Those who survive the acute phase suffer severe destruction of facial tissue and bones and live with debilitating deformities that prevent them from having a healthy life.
The WHO estimates noma affects 140,000 people every year. It can be prevented by improving general conditions of life and access to healthcare.
&lsquo;Restoring Dignity&rsquo; is a 52-minute documentary following the stories of several noma survivors in Northwest Nigeria. The film offers a glimpse in survivors&rsquo; lives and follows their struggles and achievements over the course of a year. This event will be held May 25 from 15:00-16:30 CEST.

Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute Geneva

Doctors Without Borders

Film Screening And Panel Discussion: Getting Noma Out Of Neglect

Filters

Channel

World Statistics Day 2025

International Film Club: The African Doctor

SwitchPoint Future League Virtual Exchange

An Enabled, Fit-for-Purpose Health Workforce for Africa

Impact of Climate Change on Health & Women in Africa

Building bridges: Towards integrated and collaborative approaches for women’s cancers in Francophone Africa

Future-proofing Africa - Securing Tomorrow Through People-Centred Health System Redesign

Symposium on Solidarity of Women Entrepreneurs in Africa and Japan

Africa now! An urgent case for investment towards more sustainable cities and towns

Youth Mixed Migration in Gateway Cities in West Africa

African Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience

Film Screening And Panel Discussion: Getting Noma Out Of Neglect