Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly update

Population growth, ageing societies, and changing disease patterns are expected to drive greater demand for well-trained health workers in the next 15 years. The global economy is projected to create around 40 million new health sector jobs by 2030, mostly in middle- and high-income countries. But despite that anticipated growth, there will be a projected shortage of 18 million health workers needed to achieve the SDGs in low- and lower-middle-income countries, fuelled in part by labour mobility, both within and between nations.

Ending Childhood Obesity

Delegates considered the report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity which sets out the approaches and combinations of interventions that are likely to be most effective in tackling childhood and adolescent obesity in different contexts around the world. In 2014, an estimated 41 million children under 5 years of age were affected by overweight or obesity, 48% of which lived in Asia and 25% in Africa. Undernutrition in early childhood places children at an especially high risk of developing obesity later in life when food and physical activity patterns change.

Member States welcomed the 6 recommendations detailed in the Commission’s report. These include strategies to tackle environmental norms that foster obesity, reduce the risk of obesity through the life-course and treat children who are already obese to improve their current and future health. The Health Assembly calls on the WHO Secretariat to develop an implementation plan to guide further action, in consultation with Member States, and invited stakeholders to work towards implementation of the actions. The Assembly also recommended Member States develop national responses to end childhood and adolescent obesity, in-line with the report’s recommendations.

Global plan of action on violence

Delegates agreed a resolution on the WHO global plan of action on violence. Non-fatal acts of violence take a particular toll on women and children. 1-in-4 children has been physically abused; 1-in-5 girls has been sexually abused; and 1-in-3 women has experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at some point in her lifetime.

The plan is designed to help countries strengthen action to address interpersonal violence, in particular violence against women and girls, and children. The resolution encourages countries to strengthen the role of the health system in responding to violence. It invites partners to take steps to accomplish the plan's 4 strategic directions: strengthen health system leadership and governance; enhance health service delivery and the capacity of health workers and providers to respond to the needs of people who have experienced violence; boost programming to prevent interpersonal violence; and improve information and evidence.

Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases

Member States reviewed the progress made by countries in addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart and lung diseases, cancers, and diabetes, since the first UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in 2011.

There has been a significant increase in the number of countries with a national multisectoral NCD action plan (from 18% of countries in 2010 to 37% in 2015) and a NCD department within national ministries of health (from 53% to 66% in the same timeframe). Globally, the probability of dying between the ages of 30 and 70 from a major NCD has dropped slightly, as well as alcohol per capita consumption, and the prevalence of raised blood pressure. However, significant global increases are witnessed in the prevalence of obesity and overweight.

In preparation for the third UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in 2018, Member States requested WHO update a set of very cost-effective and affordable NCD interventions that can be implemented by all Member States, as well as to develop an approach to register and publish contributions of the private sector to achieving global NCD targets.

Director-General election

Delegates have agreed 3 proposals from the Director-General to increase transparency around the upcoming election of her successor.

They approved the Director-General’s proposal to acknowledge the nomination of prospective candidates provided the nominating country agrees. The deadline for submissions is 22 September 2016 and nominations are not formally opened until the following day. However, the DG can now publicly acknowledge the names of prospective candidates submitted before then, provided the nominating country is in agreement.

They agreed to webcast the Candidates’ Forum expected to be held in November 2016. The Forum is an interactive dialogue where each candidate gives a 30-minute presentation of their vision and plans for WHO, followed by a questions and answer session with Member State representatives. Participation in the live event is limited to Member States, but the event will now be webcast live on the WHO website in all official languages.

The Assembly also decided that candidates nominated by the Executive Board to the World Health Assembly will have the opportunity to address the Health Assembly before voting takes place. Delegates further decided that these addresses be webcast on the WHO website in all official WHO languages.

For more information, please contact:

Mr Gregory Härtl
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: +41 79 203 67 15
Email: hartlg@who.int

Ms Fadéla Chaib
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
Email: chaibf@who.int

Mr Tarik Jasarevic
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: +41 79 367 6214
Email: jasarevict@who.int