The 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) commences next week from May 27 – June 1, 2024. The WHA makes decisions on matters related to World Health Organization (WHO) policies and to review and approve the proposed programme budget. The theme of this year’s Assembly is “All for Health, Health for All.”
As a non-state actor (NSA) in official relations with WHO, SIOP will attend WHA77 to participate in official proceedings, connect with the global cancer community, and co-host and participate in side-events.
At this year’s WHA77 countries are continuing to negotiate on topics such as the pandemic agreement, ongoing conflicts and health crises, and WHO’s upcoming Investment Round will dominate discussions among Member States.
Those interested in tracking WHA77 proceedings are invited to access the latest information via the WHA77 landing page, which includes links to the livestream and important WHA documents, such as agenda and daily schedules. There will also be a round of Strategic Roundtables beginning Tuesday, May 28, which bring together delegates, WHO experts, partner agencies, and civil society to discuss current priorities and solutions to critically important global health issues.

As usual, the WHA77 agenda is very comprehensive and attempted to match them with the priorities outlined in our strategic plan. Hence, SIOP will closely track the proceedings on the following topics:

• Agenda Item 11.1: Universal Health Coverage
• Agenda Item 11.2: Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
• Agenda Item 11.7: Maternal Health and Child Mortality
• Agenda Item 13.4: INB agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response
• Agenda Item 15.4: Climate change, pollution and health
• NSA engagement in official WHO proceedings

As offical non-state actor with WHO, we are supporting various constituency statements and will deliver a statement on the floor during the official proceedings under agenda item 11.2 Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Statements will be posted to official WHO NSA statement platform as well as on the SIOP website once delivered. We would like to thank our Advocacy committee, WHO NSA engagement committee and all partners who contributed their expertise to these statements.

We would like to thank our Advocacy Chair, Dr Rashmi Dalvi as well as Prof Maja Beck-Popovic, WHO NSA Engagement Committee member, to make the time in their busy schedules to attend official proceedings and be our voice. In case you are in Geneva next week, don’t forget that there are many WHA side events, meetings, and activities that take place outside of the Palais des Nations which  do not require an official delegate pass to the WHA.

For a comprehensive list of side events, please check the official WHA77 side events calendar for a list of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.

Our SIOP delegation will attend the following key events alongside some others:

Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC), IARC, IIPAN, WHO, SIOP
Stakeholders Meeting on Nutrition and Childhood Cancer
May 28, 2024
7:00 am – 9:00 am CEST
Location: President Wilson Hotel, Quai Wilson 47, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland

City Cancer Challenge
Harnessing the power of research, innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve cancer outcomes
May 29, 2024
8:00 am – 10:00 am CEST
InterContinental Geneve
7, Chem. du Petit-Saconnex 9, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland

Global Health Council
Informal NSA Discussion Session at WHA
May 29, 2024
04:00 pm – 05:00 pm CEST
CSEM networking space located at the International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI)
International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI).
Route de Ferney 106, 1202 Genève Switzerland

The Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge returns on Sunday, 26 May 2024 to Geneva, Switzerland to provide a healthy kickstart to the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly. WHO is joining with the UN family, Member States, athletes, local sports clubs health partners and the Geneva community to celebrate the importance of healthy lifestyles and demonstrate measures to safely conduct public events.

This in-person event will invite participants to run, walk, use your wheelchair, or move in any other way over two routes: 3 km and 4.2 km. People of all ages and abilities will gather at Place des Nations from approximately 09:00, when fun warm-ups start, before the 09.30 official opening. Find out more here.