As the Seventy-Fifth World Health Assembly begins – the first in-person Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – I am thrilled to join the World Health Organization in celebrating and amplifying the importance of health and wellbeing. 

Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the WHO is committed to continuing to lead and champion global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. The World Health Assembly convenes each year, as it is the main decision-making body of WHO and comprises 194 Member States. Delegates from all Member States have come together to agree on the Organization’s priorities and policies with country delegates making decisions on health goals and strategies that will guide their own public health work. 

The theme of this year’s Health Assembly is health for peace and peace for health. The COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies with international reach have highlighted the leadership and coordinating role of WHO in responding to such events – necessitating a heightened focus on strengthening preparedness for and response to health emergencies. ​​

As the Inaugural Global Health Ambassador for the World Health Organization Foundation, myself and my Wellbeing Foundation Africa are actively working, through advocacy and programming, to achieve the WHO’s “triple billion targets”. The targets are that, by 2025 (from a starting point of 2019), one billion more people will be benefiting from universal health coverage, one billion more people will be better protected from health emergencies, and one billion more people will be enjoying better health and well-being.

This #WHA75, with pressing matters of civic importance at home in Nigeria, I am ably represented at the in-person strategic roundtable and normative sessions in Geneva by the WBFA Global Delegation, which looks forward to celebrating partnerships in Strengthening Africa’s Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience, this evening, with special gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in the presence of Africa CDC, the WHO AFRO and EMRO, and partners in global health emergencies.

As the WBFA Global Delegation to WHA75 commences their engagements – I am confident that people-centred frontline impact will shape global policy deliberations and the important gender data around our core focus of RMNCAH, EMONC, Nutrition, One Health and WASH. I look forward to their reports on the implementation of the areas of work set, in order to determine what has been achieved and decide on strategies for addressing the gaps.

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