The a hundred and fiftieth session of the supervisor Board befell on January 24-29, 2022. the supervisor Board consists of 34 technically licensed members elected for three-12 months phrases. At this annual Board meeting, the members agree upon the agenda for the World well being meeting and the resolutions to be thought-about there. picture: Christopher Black/ WHO
On the eve of the two-12 months anniversary of the World well being group’s declaration of the COVID-19 disaster as a “public well being emergency of worldwide concern,” its govt Board met in hybrid vogue in Geneva for its semiannual meeting. Our vp for worldwide well being approach, Kate Dodson, shares her takeaways from per week of debate on future management and governance of the world’s preeminent worldwide public well being group.
Heading into 12 months Three of the COVID-19 pandemic amid surging situations fueled by the Omicron variant and persistent gaps in worldwide vaccination, the supervisor Board of the World well being group (WHO) met over the previous week of January to debate how one can strengthen the group, defeat the pandemic, and foster a resilient restoration to fulfill the worldwide objective of #HealthforAll.
the supervisor Board consists of 34 Member States of WHO, and its major objective is to set the agenda for the annual World well being meeting meeting of all 194 Member States, which takes place every may. The matters and challenges included inside the agenda of this a hundred and fiftieth govt Board meeting replicate the breadth and significance of well being challenges that the world is going by means of.
listed right here are my extreme 4 takeaways:
1. management of WHO secured
although the transfer was extensively anticipated, the supervisor Board unanimously voted to nominate Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for a second time period as Director-regular. With nominations due final fall, it was clear that Dr. Tedros did not face any rivals for the publish. nonetheless, it’s an crucial signal of notion amongst Member States for his management, which has been marked largely by the pandemic over the previous two years. the supervisor Board’s nomination will go to the World well being meeting in may; if elected, Dr. Tedros shall be invited to serve one other 5-12 months time period.
WHO Director-regular Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addresses the 74th World well being meeting. picture: WHO/ Christopher Black
2. Incremental indicators of progress in strengthening collective capacities for future well being threats
the supervisor Board was not anticipated to make definitive selections relating to reforms of WHO’s work on well being emergencies, nonetheless it did make vital progress in the direction of opening pathways for conclusive selections to be made inside the approaching months. The Board authorized a draft choice launched by the usa to strengthen the worldwide well being legal guidelines (IHR), the one worldwide authorized framework on well being threats. The Board additionally took steps to advance formation of a standing committee beneath the supervisor Board on well being emergencies. As proposed by Austria, this committee could be designed to extra carefully oversee WHO’s emergency response efforts after a public well being emergency of worldwide concern is asserted and to intention to slim the hole between WHO’s technical steering and normative management all by means of an emergency, as effectively as to Member States’ adherence to best observe steering. Member States spoke with regard to the want for complementarity in all reform discussions, collectively with the prolonged time period work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating physique (INB), which is ready to fulfill this spring to start negotiating a doable new pandemic accord.
COVID-19 medical supplies collectively with defending private devices, thermometers and respirators arrive in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. picture: Gregor Donaldson/ WHO
three. The crucial of resilient well being methods to sort out all well being challenges and foster well being for All
the supervisor Board did not focus utterly on pandemics and worldwide well being emergencies. WHO’s work additionally consists of normative steering and assist to Member States on a unfold of public well being factors, from polio eradication to most cancers and completely different noncommunicable illnesses. The Board talked about dozens of these factors, with a clear name for strengthening major care, prevention, and public well being measures as constructing blocks in the direction of reaching common well being safety. With international places radically off-observe on account of the pandemic, it ought to take a substantial quantity of effort to reinvigorate progress on these goals.
well being workers from the Kamboja IVc well being publish go to households in Sikumana Village to current well being providers and encourage them to carry their youngsters for vaccination in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, on November three, 2021. picture: Fauzan Ijazah/ UNICEF
4. Hope continues to be alive for fixing WHO’s damaged financing
WHO has flip proper into a household identify over the previous two years, guiding the world’s response to the worst well being disaster in a century. but regardless of the enormity of WHO’s mandate, solely sixteen% of its base funds every 12 months will be relied upon through annual dues from Member States. What’s extra, an overreliance on closely earmarked, voluntary, and brief-time period funding has left greater than 25% of WHO’s workers on brief-time period contracts, further compromising its potential to fulfill its mandate from Member States. In response, the UN basis despatched a letter to govt Board management on behalf of over 60 worldwide organizations calling for strong and sustainable financing for WHO. An effort started final 12 months by Member States to restore this damaged financing was alleged to conclude at this Board meeting, however sadly, Member States did not attain consensus. The work will proceed by means of the approaching months, and hopes are extreme that a decision shall be reached on the World well being meeting in may.
who’s head quartered in Geneva, Switzerland. picture: Eric Bridiers/ U.S. Mission Geneva
the picks made — and by no means made — by the supervisor Board in January set the stage for the seventy fifth World well being meeting in may, when WHO Member States will subsequent meet. the persevering with COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of how fundamental WHO’s function is in safeguarding our collective well being. constructing again from the current pandemic, stopping future pandemics, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable enchancment goals (SDGs) would require all nations to recommit to strengthening and sustainably financing WHO so it is effectively equipped to fulfill the challenges that lie forward.