Esperanza e incertidumbre en la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud: ¿hacia dónde va la salud global? – Blog

After the 78th World Health Assembly (2025), Reflections on Global Health, WHO reforms and the real impact of real cuts.

Last month the 78th World Health Assembly (Wha78), which brought together more than 3000 delegates Of all the world. As I attended one of the Event parallelsI had the opportunity to live the city while hosted by one of the most dismissed platforms of multilateral cooperation and global health dialogue.

It was the First time I visited Geneva AND Being seemed surreal After having spent much of my academic life reading about the postwar world and institutions such as the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO). The delegates moved in a hurry to reach the great sessions scheduled in different buildings and photos were taken in front of the flags of the Palace of the Nations, the importance of the moment, but also, of course, thinking of LinkedIn. We are many that, when going from the academy to work on the ground we have realized what Complex and fragagile What a son of these institutions. We are finally checking it now more than ever.

The general director of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, taking a photo with an assistant at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva (Switzerland). Photo: WHO/Pierre Albouy.

Although the official issue of this year’s assembly was «a world for health», in all formal and informal conversations there were another: the Drastic financing cuts Initiated by the president of the United States and seconded by several European governments. It was at the same time revealing and very discouraging to comobar how the direction of one of the most influential meetings in the -mbito of global health can be deep conditioned Decisions of the ideology of a single man.

I ran between a cautious optimism and a quiet disappointment. I went from Geneva with a mixture of reflections and questions

There is no doubt that the 78th World Health Assembly closed with some important achievements: Among other things, a Agreement historical; A rush 20% increase in contributions; More than 210 million dollars in the WHO investments round; And the Minister of Health of Spain was appointed Member of the WHO Executive Committee, which is a notable step in Spain’s growing commitment to diplomacy in global health. Decisions are no child. And yet, the warding that was floating is: Sufficient son To deal with the magnitude and urgency of the challenges that are silver on the ground?

In the midst of these conversations, I found myself between a cautious optimism and a quiet disappointment. I went from Geneva with a mizcla of Reflections and questions (And a glimpse of existential crisis), which I now share with you to reflect together.

The reform is underway, but what about the present?

While the discussions focused on roadmap for reform on medium and long term opportunities to restructure help systems, I asked myself: how are you addressing addressing what is happening to real real people right now Due to the cuts in help?

The abnine fund cut is not just a budgetary issue: these are real -time interruptions in the lives of people who are much more than statistics. Our own teams in Isglobal estimate that due to these cuts up to 14 million lives could be posted

The abnine fund cut is not just a budgetary issue: these are immediate interruptions in the lives of people who are many more than statistics. Our own equipment in Isglobal estimate that due to these cuts it could be perceived until 14 million of lives. They have closed health centers that serve hundreds of people a day. Many workers in the health and development have lost their Jobs Overnight. Community organizations They are closing. It has disrupted Access to diagnosis and medications that save lives. However, few sessions took care of this crisis In present tense.

Undoubtedly, a sustainable systemic change takes time, but the most affected by the consequences do not have that time. How have this point arrived without a contingency plan? How are we responsible now? These realities demand more than frames: they demand Urgency, empathy and volunteer to act.

The global health financial is still supported on colonial bases, why don’t we talk about it?

Although conversations about the restructuring of the global health financing system were central in this year’s assembly, there was no real recognition of The colonial foundations of infrastructure. More and more emphasis was made in the mobilization of national resources and the convener of the commercial dynamics between donors and receptors in favor of the joint belief. However, little about structural conditions – peasted and present – that have limited the ability of low and medium income (most postcolonial majority) to mobilize resources. Debt loads, extractive commercial relations, political instability and conflict – which weakens local health systems – and a colonial legacy, continue to condition the possibilities of many countries today. If real we want national abropiac and equitis associations, we must face these Deep -rooted power hierarchies. Otherwise, cooking runs the risk of becoming little more than a new form of dependence, a new label for an old flash.

The World Health Assembly at the Palace of Nations in Geneva (Switzerland). Photo: WHO/Pierre Albouy.

Is all compomesis significant?

In addition to the central sessions of the Assembly, more than 100 Event parallelsAn UN service deployment of world attention. Embargo of sin, the volume does not always translate into significant commitment. One hour’s, very times overlapping, they stayed On the surfacesaturated from Fashion words As «innovative financial» without addressing the difficult questions about how these proposals on the land are implemented, in different health systems and socio -political contexts, and in what deadlines. As the global health sector grows on scale and complexity, it may be time for rethink the formats In which we meet, there are no parapestionary crowds alone, but to promote a deeper and more inclusive dialogue. Because if the commitment is still a box that is marked instead of a practice that is improved, we run the risk of reproducing the same exclusion That we say wanting to change.

A measure that the global health sector grows on scale and complexity, perhaps time to rethink the formats in which we union, there are no crowds to solve

The conversations of the on financial sustainability, diversification and resilience not new child. They have been on the table for more than a decade. The different thing now is that we are at a point where those ideas must happen From rhetoric to practice. These problems are not linear, and therefore, their solutions either the son. Platlaformas such as the 78th World Health Assembly are still vital, pear to guarantee their value, we must demand high standards of responsibility and inclusion, and also use the comacles for for Reflection on our own roles In the system. We must commit ourselves mentally to the complexity, disappointment and contradiction presented by the system, and yet Fight for change. A change that is significant in the long term and also that survey to the urgency of the presentBecause people cannot wait for systems to evolve and we shouldn’t do it either.