Geneva WHA 2026: Cuba joins committee, Taiwan barred, pandemic treaty talks extended
The 79th World Health Assembly convened in Geneva, Switzerland from 18‑23 May 2026, bringing together delegates from more than 165 WHO member states.
Cuba was elected to the General Committee of the Assembly, representing the Americas. The appointment comes as Cuba grapples with a severe health crisis, including widespread drug shortages, prolonged power outages in hospitals and a backlog of over 96,000 surgeries. A UN emergency plan of $94.1 million aimed at assisting two million Cubans remains under‑funded.
Taiwan’s bid to attend the Assembly as an observer was rejected after China expressly opposed any participation, citing the "one‑China" principle. Although the United States and the European Union voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion, China’s stance prevailed, prompting concerns from countries such as Palau about a gap in global health monitoring.
The WHO described the opening session as being in "panic mode" due to simultaneous outbreaks: a rapid spread of hantavirus and a new Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with over 300 suspected cases and around 80 deaths. Officials called for accelerating the ratification of the Pandemic Treaty and highlighted links between climate change and disease emergence.
India’s health minister J P Nadda reiterated his country’s continued support for the WHO, citing initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and endorsing the Assembly’s theme “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility”.
Víctor Atallah of the Dominican Republic was elected president of the Assembly. In his opening remarks he urged a global focus on mental‑health care, equitable access to medicines and the creation of a Global Health Action Platform to coordinate resources.
Negotiations on the core element of the Pandemic Treaty were extended by one year due to ongoing disagreements between industrialised and developing nations, as noted by WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.