This series of Strategic Roundtables brings together delegates, experts from WHO, partner agencies and civil society to discuss current priorities and next solutions on vital issues for global public health.
The events are taking place at the WHO headquarters and webcast on this web page.
Watch the sessions on 19–21 May 2026 at 13:00–14:15 CEST.
Sessions
Tuesday 19 May 2026, 13:00–14:15 CEST, Executive Board Room, Building A, WHO
From COVID-19 lessons to action: the evolution of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme
The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly marks over six years since WHO declared COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and a decade since the establishment of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
This Roundtable provides a timely opportunity to take stock of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and how they have been translated into broader institutional reforms and commitments across WHO.
Global public health leaders will discuss how innovations developed during and in the aftermath of the pandemic are shaping WHO’s and the world’s response to emergencies in complex settings. This Roundtable will also explore how these advances are contributing to strengthening national capacities, complementing Member State efforts to enhance pandemic prevention, preparedness and response at national, regional and global levels.
Wednesday 20 May 2026, 13:00–14:15 CEST, Executive Board Room, Building A, WHO
It takes a village: an integrated and intersectoral response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health
The Strategic Roundtable will examine how countries can strengthen integrated responses to NCDs and mental health conditions, which are increasingly shaped by shared social, commercial, environmental, and demographic factors.
Building on the 2025 Political Declaration, the discussion will focus on aligning policies, financing, and health systems to better connect health promotion, prevention, and care, while addressing multimorbidity, population ageing, nutrition, and social connection.
The Roundtable aims to identify practical policy and financing solutions, reinforce political commitment, and promote more resilient, people-centred health systems that advance equity and universal health coverage.
Thursday 21 May 2026, 13:00–14:15 CEST, Executive Board Room, Building A, WHO
Addressing health mis- and dis-information: protecting scientific integrity
Misinformation and disinformation undermine all areas of public health, impeding progress toward WHO’s strategic goals. They disrupt emergency responses, distort health seeking behaviours and erode trust in scientific evidence and health institutions. These dynamics affect WHO’s normative and standard setting role by hindering the translation of science into policy.
This Roundtable provides a platform for Member States and partners to exchange experiences and practical approaches to counter misinformation and disinformation, strengthen information integrity, improve public engagement with evidence-based health information, and reinforce trust in science.
The discussion will focus on identifying concrete actions that support national strategies, improve global coordination, and reaffirm WHO’s leadership on urgent and emerging health priorities.