World Health Assembly Global Parliamentary Forum: from commitment to action on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and sustainable financing for health

Parliamentarians, Member State representatives, civil society and partners convened at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly Global Parliamentary Forum to strengthen parliamentary leadership in advancing implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and sustainable financing for health.

Convened by WHO and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Global Parliamentary Forum - first launched at last year's Assembly - is now established as an annual platform for parliamentary engagement at the heart of the Assembly. It was established under the leadership of WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who recognized the critical role of parliamentarians in advancing health priorities at the national level and championed the creation of a dedicated parliamentary platform within the World Health Assembly.

Held under the theme "From Commitment to Action: Advancing Parliamentary Leadership for the WHO Pandemic Agreement Implementation and Sustainable Financing for Health," the Forum was co-chaired by Mr Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary-General, and Dr Zeyana Hamid, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee for Health and HIV Affairs of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania. Both underscored the critical role of parliaments in translating global commitments into concrete action through legislation, policymaking, oversight and budgetary decisions.

"Sustainable financing for health is not simply a technical discussion. It is a political and moral choice. Investment in health is an investment in security, stability and sustainable development," said Mr Chungong in his opening remarks.

The Forum opened with a presentation by Dr Nedret Emiroglu, Head of the Secretariat for the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. Dr Emiroglu provided an update on the status of the Agreement, including ongoing negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex, and highlighted the central role of parliaments in supporting its signature, ratification and implementation at country level.

This was followed by a presentation from Dr Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of the Performance, Financing and Delivery Department at WHO, who underscored the importance of sustainable financing for health and the role of parliaments in mobilizing domestic resources to strengthen pandemic preparedness and resilient health systems, including through the strategic use of health taxes as both public health and fiscal instruments.

Building on these priorities, a parliamentary exchange session featured Hon. Ashraf Mahmoud Ibrahim Hatem, Member of Parliament of Egypt, and Hon. Chang Jong-tae, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, who shared their national experiences, legislative perspectives and practical insights. Hon. Hatem and Hon. Chang underscored the importance of advancing the successful negotiation and finalization of the PABS Annex as a critical component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement. They also emphasized the need for political commitment to health financing, as resilient health systems depend on predictable and sustainable domestic resource mobilization, highlighting practical tools such as health taxes that can both improve health outcomes and generate revenue.

A civil society perspective was also provided by Ms Renée de Jong, Senior Advocacy Advisor for Health and Nutrition at Save the Children, who underscored the importance of collaboration between parliamentarians and civil society to drive implementation and ensure that global health commitments translate into tangible outcomes at the country level.

The interactive dialogue brought together diverse voices, including parliamentarians, Member State representatives and partners, all of whom shared underlining significance of parliamentary leadership, shared accountability and cross-sector collaboration in advancing WHA priorities and strengthening implementation at the national level.

In his closing keynote remarks, Dr Tedros reminded the central role of parliament in turning global commitments into action.

"Global agreements do not save lives - implementation does," he said. "Parliaments are the bridge between global commitments and people's daily lives. You adopt the laws, approve the budgets, and hold governments accountable."

The Forum also marked the final World Health Assembly for Mr Chungong as Secretary-General of the IPU as he finishes his third and last term. Paying tribute, Dr Tedros highlighted Mr Chungong's longstanding leadership in strengthening WHO-IPU collaboration, including through its Memorandum of Understanding that institutionalized the collaboration and brought health firmly onto parliamentary agenda.

Under their ongoing programme of work, WHO and the IPU will continue implementing initiatives to support parliaments in translating WHA decisions into national action. Member States are also encouraged to deepen their political and financial commitment to WHO by including members of parliament in their national delegations to future World Health Assemblies.