World Health Organization
New global commitment to primary health care for all at Astana conference
24 Oct 2018
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WHA78: Key decisions advancing the global NCD and mental health agenda ahead of HLM4
World Health Organization | 05 Jun 2025
At the seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) discussed and approved several milestone decisions to advance the global response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions. Landmark resolutions on lung and kidney health, a dedicated World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, and plans to scale up eye, hearing care and prevention were among the key items. The Assembly also extended the deadline for the global action plan on dementia, and reaffirmed countries’ commitment to multisectoral and multistakeholder collaboration through the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs.
The WHA78 resolutions on NCDs and mental health lead the way to the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing (HLM4), where heads of state and government will meet at the UN General Assembly to set a new vision and ambitious targets in a dedicated political declaration.
Landmark resolutions on lung and kidney health approved
At WHA78, Member States approved a landmark resolution on lung health, recognizing the urgent need to tackle respiratory diseases and their major risk factors, including air pollution and tobacco use. The Resolution aims to strengthen national and global actions to prevent, diagnose, and manage common lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, pneumonia and tuberculosis, including through improved access to affordable care and greater investment in clean air policies.
The Assembly also approved the first-ever resolution on kidney health, recognizing kidney disease as a growing global public health issue. Led by Guatemala and co-sponsored by multiple Member States, the Resolution urges countries to integrate kidney care into national health strategies, expand prevention, early detection and treatment efforts, and strengthen primary health-care services.
New World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day plans to scale up eye and hearing care
In support of the global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem, the Assembly established a World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, to be marked on November 17 every year. Cervical cancer – the fourth most common cancer in women – could become the first cancer to be eliminated if sufficient global action and support is mobilized.
Another Resolution on primary prevention and integrated care for sensory impairments, including vision impairment and hearing loss called for improved services for at least 2.2 billion individuals affected by vision impairment, and 1.5 billion individuals by hearing loss – with particular attention to low- and middle-income countries, Small Island Developing States, and settings affected by different emergencies. The Resolution invites countries to implement the recommendations outlined in the World report on vision and World report on hearing.
New timeline for global action plan on dementia, renewed commitment to the GCM/NCD
Countries further endorsed a decision to extend the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia from 2025 to 2031, following a recommendation from WHO’s Executive Board. The revised timeline aligns with the Global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological Disorders 2022–2031 and supports a more coherent approach to the global response to neurological conditions.
Acknowledging the independent Mid-term evaluation of the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (GCM/NCD), the Assembly also highlighted the crucial role of the GCM/NCD in driving multisectoral and multistakeholder action on NCDs. Member States commended the past impact and success of the GCM/NCD, and reaffirmed their continued commitment to addressing the growing burden of NCDs and mental health conditions through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
Setting the stage for September: global health leaders build momentum ahead of UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health
An official side event on the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting entitled “Equity and integration: transforming lives and livelihoods through leadership and action on NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being” created further momentum around these key resolutions and thematic discussions. At the event, Member States, civil society, and public health experts issued urgent calls for accelerated action on NCDs.
Speakers from Barbados, Norway, and Spain showcased success stories in country cooperation, alongside powerful advocacy from the NCD Alliance and United for Global Mental Health. The side event also underscored challenges – from commercial determinants of health? to climate crises, and from accountability gaps to primary care integration – and the availability of proven, evidence-informed responses.
