Cuba member of the General Committee of the World Health Assembly

United Nations, May 20th. - Cuba was elected today as a member country of the General Committee of the World Health Assembly, a body composed of 17 nations, responsible for making decisions on the functioning of that institution, official sources reported.

The decision-making body of WHO, the World Health Assembly has among its main functions to determine policies, appoint the Director-General, monitor financial policies, and to review and approve the proposed programme budget.

As part of the programme of activities of the 78th World Health Assembly, which began on this day at the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, the delegation of the Caribbean island headed by Minister José Ángel Portal exchanged with its Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in the context of the opening ceremony.

A press release highlights that the Cuban head of Public Health held bilateral meetings with his Panamanian counterpart, Dr. Fernando Boyd Galindo as well as Malawi's Minister of Health and Population Hon. Khumbize K.Chiponda

Also with the Federal Minister for the National Health, Regulation and Coordination Services of Pakistan, Dr. Syed Mustafa Kamal; Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health of Rwanda; and Mr. Lei Haichao, Minister in charge of the China National Health Commission.

Portal also spoke with his counterparts from Mexico, David Kershenobich Stalnikowitz, and Cape Verde, Jorge Figueiredo, as well as with the head of Azerbaijan's delegation to the World Health Assembly, Vugar Mammadov, director of International Cooperation for Health of that nation.

As part of the first day of the meeting, which runs until the 27th, the Cuban official signed a Memorandum of Understanding for health cooperation with his counterpart from the Sultanate of Oman, Dr. Hilal bin Ali bin Hilal Al Sabti.

The extensive programme of activities included the visit to the headquarters of the GAVI Vaccines Fund and exchanged with its representatives, as well as held a meeting with managers of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Likewise, Portal shared with the collective of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the UN in Geneva.

The 78th World Health Assembly will focus on the adoption of more than 40 resolutions, including the Treaty on Future Pandemians.

Under the motto A world united by health, the agenda of the meeting includes discussions on the proposed programme budget 2026-2027, aligned with the 14th International Programme of Work of WHO, the organization's overall health strategy for the period 2025-2028.

In addition, decisions will be made on priorities such as the elimination of cervical cancer, lung and kidney health, rare diseases, imaging capacity, skin diseases, traditional medicine, lead exposure, health funding and antimicrobial resistance. (Text and Photo: Cubasí)