79th World Health Assembly
Find out more about the 2026 World Health Assembly and what it means for the climate and health movement.
The 79th World health Assembly (WHA 79) will take place 18-23 May 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. Learn more about why it is important for the climate and health movement.
More information coming soon.
What is the World Health Assembly?
The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the annual meeting of the world’s ministries of health, hosted and convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) to set global health policy. Delegates make decisions on health targets, financing and strategies that will guide their own public health work.
In regard to climate change, it is an opportunity to ensure that the health impacts of the climate crisis and climate action are discussed and acted upon at the highest level of global health decision making.
What impact did last year’s World Health Assembly (WHA 78) have for the climate and health movement?
The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78), held in May 2025, marked a milestone in global health and climate action with the adoption of the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Climate Change and Health. This plan sets out concrete steps for governments and the WHO to address the health impacts of climate change.
The GCHA and its members welcomed the GAP as a much-needed tool to drive action, particularly its strong emphasis on integrating health into countries’ climate commitments (NDCs) and embedding climate into national health plans. However, we are alarmed at the omission of any reference to a just transition away from fossil fuels, or fossil fuel subsidy reform, in the GAP, because of the role fossil fuels play in driving both climate change and air pollution, and the myriad other means of health harms.
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