Daily Update: 78th World Health Assembly – May 24, 2025

First-ever Rare Diseases Resolution Underscores Equity and Inclusion

In a historic move, Member States have adopted a groundbreaking resolution that elevates rare diseases to the forefront of global health priorities. This decisive action aims to ensure that no patients are overlooked, particularly as over 300 million individuals worldwide are affected by one of more than 7,000 rare diseases. These conditions often surface during childhood, leading to substantial physical, emotional, and financial challenges for affected families.

The resolution calls upon countries to integrate rare diseases into their national health planning. By enhancing diagnosis and care through universal health coverage, it advocates for inclusive policies and the acceleration of innovation, research, and access to affordable treatments. A pivotal component of this resolution mandates the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a comprehensive 10-year global action plan focused on rare diseases. This action plan will include measurable targets to ensure progress in equity, inclusion, and access to care for all affected individuals.

Countries Endorse Resolution to Tackle Global Health Financing Emergency

In another significant step at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, nations approved a new resolution aimed at strengthening health financing globally. This resolution reaffirms the commitment to advancing universal health coverage (UHC) through a people-centered approach to primary health care. Coming at a time when external aid is projected to decline by 40% in 2025 and out-of-pocket health spending continues to rise, this resolution is a response to a burgeoning global health financing emergency that particularly affects low- and middle-income countries.

The new resolution outlines essential actions for Member States to enhance health financing. It encourages an increase in domestic budget allocations for health and the improvement of public financial management systems, ensuring that health initiatives yield the maximum positive impact on population health. Given the rapidly changing landscape of global health, the resolution calls for a renewed role for WHO. This role will focus on steering both domestic and international health financing strategies toward sustainable self-reliance and progress for UHC.

WHO is tasked with operationalizing the priorities outlined in this resolution. By strengthening its core functions in data analytics, policy norms, and accountability, the organization will continue to partner with countries to fortify public financing—an essential cornerstone for resilient health systems capable of delivering quality, affordable, and equitable health services for all.

Countries Back Resolution to Boost Science-Driven Health Policy and Implementation

To bolster evidence-based health systems, Member States have approved a resolution focused on enhancing national capacities for developing and adapting public health guidance that is firmly rooted in high-quality scientific evidence. This move addresses existing gaps in countries’ abilities to generate, utilize, and scale context-specific data and guidelines, which are crucial for improving equitable health outcomes.

The resolution urges governments to invest in systems that support effective national guideline development. This includes establishing regulatory frameworks, utilizing digital tools, and promoting local research. It calls on WHO to maintain the best standards in its normative products and assist Member States in adapting and implementing these tools effectively at the country level. Additionally, a global framework will be developed to encourage cross-border collaboration and build regional science capacity. This resolution signifies a renewed global commitment to ensuring that WHO’s guidance translates into real-world impacts in clinics, communities, and health systems around the globe.

Stepping Up Efforts to Eradicate Guinea Worm Disease

In a critical turning point in the battle against Guinea worm disease, Member States have adopted a new resolution aimed at reaffirming global commitment to its eradication. Fourteen years after the last resolution, this renewed effort indicates a momentum driven by a significant decrease in reported human cases—only 15 in 2024—confined to five endemic countries.

This resolution builds upon the momentum established by the Abu Dhabi Declaration on the Eradication of Guinea Worm Disease (2022) and emphasizes a revised eradication strategy that addresses the re-emerging threat of dracunculus medinensis infections in animals, particularly domestic dogs. WHO has outlined an integrated approach that combines human, animal, and environmental health efforts. This strategy underscores the importance of robust laboratory support, timely data collection, analysis, and reporting.

The resolution highlights the urgent need for sustained political will, financial commitment, cross-border collaboration, capacity building, and investments in safe water access. Collectively, these elements are vital for achieving the 2030 eradication target set in the WHO road map for neglected tropical diseases.

Member States Recognize Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority

Another noteworthy development at the World Health Assembly was the adoption of a resolution that designates skin diseases as a global public health priority. The resolution expresses a unified commitment among Member States to address the considerable burden posed by all skin conditions, including those systemic but manifesting through skin symptoms.

Skin diseases are among the most visible health issues and often lead to stigma, discrimination, and emotional distress. Despite this visibility, awareness remains low, both among health workers and the general public. Weak surveillance systems further obscure the actual public health impact of these conditions.

Effective management of common skin diseases is possible with proper training, medications, and support for local health teams—strengthening primary care and accelerating the journey toward universal health coverage. WHO is promoting integrated approaches that enhance service delivery efficiency, exemplified by its strategic framework for skin-related neglected tropical diseases.

The resolution calls for coordinated action on a country level across all skin diseases. It emphasizes the need for strengthened financing, enhanced human resources, better surveillance, capacity-building, laboratory diagnostic capabilities, and seamless access to essential medicines. Furthermore, WHO is expected to take a leadership role in facilitating transformative changes and scaling up global, regional, and country-level activities against skin diseases.

Reassignment of Indonesia from the South-East Asia Region to the Western Pacific Region

During the fifth meeting of Committee B, Member States considered Indonesia’s request for reassignment from the South-East Asia Region to the Western Pacific Region. The committee acknowledged the report and approved the proposed resolution, officially resolving that Indonesia will now be included in the WHO Western Pacific Region. This strategic realignment reflects a commitment to optimizing health cooperation and resources in alignment with Indonesia’s unique needs and collaborative potentials within the new region.