World Health Assembly - A Comprehensive Overview

1. The World Health Assembly is the premier forum through which the World Health Organization is governed by its 194 member states.
2. It is the world’s highest health policy-setting body and comprises health ministers from member states.
3. Every year, delegates from all WHO Member States attend the World Health Assembly to discuss a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
4. The World Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland, typically in May.
5. In a nutshell, the World Health Assembly is the Parliament of the WHO.

Functions of World Health Assembly

The primary functions of the WHA include:

• Formulating the policies of the Organization,
• Appointing the Director-General,
• Supervising financial policies, and
• Reviewing and approving the proposed programme budget.

Highlights of the 74th World Health Assembly

1. The 74th session of the World Health Assembly was held virtually from May 24th to June 1st, 2021, in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
2. The Theme of the 74th World Health Assembly was ‘ending this pandemic, preventing the next, building together a healthier, safer and fairer world’.
3. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, addressed the assembly as the Chairman of the WHO Executive Board. He summarized the 147th and 148th sessions of the Executive Board and its Special Session on COVID-19 response.
4. The 74th World Health Assembly elected Decheng Wangmo, Bhutan’s Minister of Health, as the President of the World Health Assembly. Five Vice Presidents were also elected, representing Benin, Guatemala, Qatar, Mongolia, and Estonia.

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Additionally, you can refer to the differences between Pandemic and Endemic for a better understanding of these terms.

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