
WHA 79 Side Events
The 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) takes place from 18 to 23 May 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. Alongside the official agenda, a series of dynamic side events will run from 18 to 23 May. Join us at our featured sessions: "Promoting Innovation in Antimicrobial Resistance: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment" on 19 May and "Launching The Health Fund Hub: Connecting Capital, Expertise, and Health Needs" on 19 May, followed by "WHA79 Side Event: Advancing TB Diagnostics – Innovations for Screening and Improved Outcomes" on 20 May and "WHA Side Event on Global HIV Management: Access to Treatment and Innovation" on 20 May, all hosted by the Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA) at the SDG Solutions Space, 15 Avenue de Sécheron, Geneva. See below the calendar of off-site WHA79 side events to help attendees explore and engage with key discussions on global health priorities throughout the week. Make sure to mark your calendars and be part of these vital conversations, and fill out the form below if your event is not there yet.
WHA79 Side Events Schedule

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Launching The Health Fund Hub: Connecting Capital, Expertise, and Health Needs
Host:
Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA)
📍SDG Solutions Space, 15 Avenue de Sécheron, Geneva

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Promoting Innovation in Antimicrobial Resistance: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment
Host:
Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA)
📍SDG Solution Space, Av. de Sécheron 15, Geneva

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
WHA79 Side Event: Advancing TB Diagnostics – Innovations for Screening and Improved Outcomes
Host:
Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA)
📍SDG Solution Space, 15 Avenue de Sécheron, Geneva

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
WHA Side Event on Global HIV Management: Access to Treatment and Innovation
Host:
Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA)
📍SDG Solutions Space, 15 Avenue de Sécheron, Geneva

📅Saturday, 16 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
The 19th Meeting of the Permanent Council of the G4 Alliance
Host:
The G4 Alliance
📍Novotel Genève Centre

📅Saturday, 16 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
From Science to Policy and Action: Announcing the 11th Edition of the World Heart Summit
Host:
World Heart Federation
📍Campus Biotech

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Walk the Talk: the Health for All Challenge (WHA79)
Host:
World Health Organization (WHO)
📍Palais des Nations

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
World Heart Summit
Host:
World Heart Federation
📍Campus Biotech

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Turning Political Commitments into Measurable Action: Advancing the New Global Targets on NCDs
Host:
NCD Alliance, World Heart Federation
📍Campus Biotech

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
From Progress to Power: How African Institutions Are Redefining the Future of Global Health
Host:
Merck KGaA
📍Intercontinental Hotel

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Building Sustainable Perioperative Care 2035
Host:
International College of Surgeons
📍Warwick Hotel

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Lives in the Balance: Health Sovereignty, Financing Reform and Protecting What Matters Most
Host:
The World Health Organization
📍Red Cross Museum Café

📅Sunday, 17 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Recognizing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as a Notifiable and Chronic Condition – A Global Call to Action
Host:
The Global TBI Coalition, NIHR University of Cambridge, Northwest School of Medicine, The G4 Alliance
📍Novotel Genève Centre

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Evidence to action: Preventing lead poisoning to save lives
Host:
WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Resolve to Save Lives
📍Restaurant Vieux Bois

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Strategic Leadership for Nurses and Midwives: A Policy Pathway to Stronger Health Systems
Host:
G4 Alliance, ICN, ICM, et al.
📍Int. Museum of the Red Cross

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
2026 WHA Taiwan Digital Health Forum: AI Governance and Digital Health Innovation
Host:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
NCDs and mental health: from declaration to delivery
Host:
Boehringer Ingelheim
📍InterContinental Geneve

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Keep It Simple – No Mosquitoes, No Dengue!
Host:
GX Foundation
📍Hotel InterContinental

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Global Health Forum 2026
Host:
Foreign Policy
📍Geneva (venue TBC)

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Continuity, Respect, Equity: Midwifery Models of Care for People-Centred Health Systems
Host:
International Confederation of Midwives
📍WHO HQ

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Early detection of cardiovascular-renal-metabolic conditions: from silent to seen
Host:
Boehringer Ingelheim
📍Hotel InterContinental

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Strengthening Collaboration to Build Operational Pathways for Reconstructive Care in Conflict Settings
Host:
2nd Chance
📍Campus Biotech

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Cancer Policy and Innovation: From Early Detection to Equitable Treatment
Host:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Investing in Decent Work: Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with a Resilient Workforce
Host:
Cordaid, FHWC, G4 Alliance
📍Auditorium de la Pastorale

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Every breath counts: making the right diagnosis at the right time
Host:
Boehringer Ingelheim
📍InterContinental Geneve

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Financing the Future: Investing in Health Workforces for Economic Resilience and UHC
Host:
The World Medical Association (WMA)
📍Warwick Hotel

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
From Vision to Action: Five Years of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact
Host:
The WHO Global Diabetes Compact
📍La Vie des Champs

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
AI and the Future of Health Systems: Arab Swiss Health Dialogue
Host:
Geneva Health Forum
📍Campus Biotech

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Partnership in action for UHC – sustaining country-led and self-reliant health financing
Host:
Japan, UN Foundation
📍Palais des Nations

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Women in Global Health Leadership, Equity & Multilateral Action
Host:
GWL Voices, WGH, UNU-IIGH, Bayer, PMNCH
📍WHO HQ

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Operationalizing WHA76.2 through the Acute Care Action Network
Host:
Ethiopia, WFSA, MWIA, ICS, et al.
📍WHO Headquarters

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx) High-Level Side Events
Host:
Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx)
📍Geneva (venue TBC)

📅Mon–Wed, 18–20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
UHC2030 / CSEM Civil Society Networking Space at WHA79
Host:
UHC2030 & Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM)
📍Venue TBC, Geneva

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Locally led solutions and strategic partnerships: driving lasting change in health systems across Africa
Host:
Amref Health Africa
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
The AMR–Health Security Equation: Why Diplomacy Matters for Cooperation?
Host:
ECSA & Health Diplomacy Alliance
📍Warwick Geneva

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Who Shapes the Future of Smart Health? Ethics, Sustainability, and Youth Leadership in Global Health Diplomacy
Host:
Healthcare Youth Alliance
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Global Surgery Foundation Side-Event
Host:
The Global Surgery Foundation (GSF)
📍Ballroom A, Hotel InterContinental

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Roundtable: Measuring What Matters – PHC & Community Entry Points to Accelerate Maternal Health
Host:
Business Council for International Understanding & GE HealthCare Foundation
📍TBC (by invitation only)

📅Monday, 18 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) Event
Host:
City Cancer Challenge (C/Can)
📍Ballroom B, Hotel InterContinental

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
WHA79 side event – Building people-centred cancer systems
Host:
UICC and the McCabe Centre
📍TBC

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Promoting Global Action on Childhood-Onset Heart Disease
Host:
BCIU, Children's HeartLink, Namibia MoH, GE
📍Restaurant Vieux Bois

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Frontline First: Investing In and Designing AI for Real‑World Care
Host:
Jhpiego
📍Hotel InterContinental

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Cities for Health: How local leadership, data, and policy are driving the future of care
Host:
Foreign Policy, McKinsey, MSD, Novartis
📍Hôtel Royal Genève

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
What can AI do in Biology? A Briefing for the Health Community
Host:
Simon Institute, UK Mission to UN
📍Geneva Centre for Security Policy

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Global Hepatitis C Elimination: Experience and the Road Ahead
Host:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Readiness, reach, results: strengthening health systems in LMICs for NCD care
Host:
Boehringer Ingelheim
📍InterContinental Geneve

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
The Social Participation Village – Where every voice shapes health governance
Host:
IAPO, CSEM, Global Health Council, Save the Children
📍Auditorium de la Pastorale

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Migration, displacement and health in a changing world
Host:
Alliance 4EU+
📍Campus Biotech

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Second GCM Participants Gathering
Host:
The World Health Organization GCM
📍WHO HQ

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Funding Opportunity: Expanding Eye Care Through Government Health Systems
Host:
Livelihood Impact Fund
📍Warwick Hotel

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Lives in the Balance: Accelerating Action for Adolescent Health
Host:
The World Health Organization
📍Red Cross Museum

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
The obesity–liver connection: shaping the future of metabolic care
Host:
Boehringer Ingelheim
📍InterContinental Geneve

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Sustaining the Global Health and Care Workforce Agenda
Host:
Germany, WMA, Ethiopia, France, Indonesia
📍Palais des Nations

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Domestic Leadership in Health Financing: A Dialogue
Host:
Save the Children, Medicus Mundi, South Africa
📍WHO HQ

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Adequate and sustained financing for NCDs and mental health
Host:
Gov of Barbados, NCD Alliance, UNDP
📍WHO HQ

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Harnessing AI and Technology to Advance Nutritional Care for Children with Non-Communicable Diseases
Host:
International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition (IIPAN) & Columbia University Irving Medical Center
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Reframing Global Health Partnerships in a Changing Reality: PPP Policy Responses
Host:
Business Council for International Understanding & Pfizer
📍TBC (by invitation only)

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Documentary Screening – The Making of a Surgeon: Fighting Africa's Hidden Crisis
Host:
Operation Smile
📍TBC

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Roundtable: From Resolution to Results – Advancing Medical Imaging Capacity for Equitable Care
Host:
Business Council for International Understanding & GE HealthCare
📍TBC (by invitation only)

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Launching the Health Fund Hub: Connecting Capital, Expertise, and Health Needs
Host:
Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA)
📍SDG Solutions Space, 15 Avenue de Sécheron, Geneva

📅Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Arboviruses: Shaking or Shaping the Future of Global Health
Host:
International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD)
📍Hotel President Wilson

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
The Clean Air Dividend: Investing in Health for All
Host:
NCD Alliance
📍Hotel InterContinental

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Building Resilient Futures: Unlocking the Power of Sport and Physical Activity for Youth
Host:
Commonwealth Secretariat, WFSGI
📍Commonwealth Small States Office

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Rebuilding the Global Health Architecture
Host:
CISDI, Harvard Medical School
📍Warwick Hotel

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Regional production in action: Aligning access and affordability
Host:
Wemos
📍Warwick Hotel

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
The Lifesaving Potential of Death Data
Host:
Bloomberg Philanthropies
📍Hotel InterContinental

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Pain as a Priority in Global Health
Host:
International Association for the Study of Pain
📍Musée de la Croix-Rouge

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
WHA79 side event – Five years of the Global Breast Cancer Initiative
Host:
UICC
📍31-33 Avenue Giuseppe-Motta

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Kidney Health for All
Host:
Devex, International Society of Nephrology
📍Devex Impact House

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Bridging the AMR Divide: Equity, Access, and Community-Led Solutions
Host:
ReAct Africa, World Council of Churches
📍World Council of Churches

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Health in a World of Crises and Impunity: The Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health
Host:
Johns Hopkins
📍Campus Biotech

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Country-Led, Globally Supported: The ALIGN-T1D Model
Host:
The ALIGN-T1D
📍Hotel InterContinental

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
From Resolution to Implementation: Shaping the Future of Global Stroke Care
Host:
Business Council for International Understanding, Global Stroke Action Coalition & Ministry of Health – Egypt
📍TBC (by invitation only)

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Healthcare financing: Bridging Traditional and Innovative Financing for UHC
Host:
Jordan, Türkiye, Burkina Faso, OIC
📍Palais des Nations

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
From Global Commitments to Integrated Lung Health Action
Host:
Official Side Event
📍TBC

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Smart Healthcare and Health System Innovation: AI Enabling People-Centred Digital Health
Host:
Geneva Health Forum (GHF)
📍Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva (Campus Biotech)

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Rethinking Global Health Infrastructure in a Changing World
Host:
WashU School of Public Health
📍Ballroom C, Hotel InterContinental

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Rare Diseases: A Catalyst for Global Health Transformation
Host:
Rare Diseases International (RDI)
📍Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Advancing Maternal Health Through AI-Enabled Medical Devices and Software
Host:
Business Council for International Understanding & Philips
📍TBC (by invitation only)

📅Wednesday, 20 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
AI for Long-Term Care System Strengthening: Leveraging LTC Insurance for Quality and Sustainable Care
Host:
Geneva Health Forum (GHF)
📍Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva (Campus Biotech)

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
WHA79: Accelerating Malaria Elimination Through Innovation
Host:
TBC
📍InterContinental Geneve

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
From Vision to Action: A Holistic Approach to Metabolic Health
Host:
EASL
📍interContinental Hotel

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Policy Forum: Addressing the Disproportionate Impact of CKM
Host:
Global Alliance for Patient Access, et al.
📍InterContinental Hotel

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Protecting 26 Million Women and 20 Million Children from Sepsis
Host:
MWIA, WGH, WFSA, IFMSA, Georgia, Egypt
📍Palais des Nations

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Bridging Health and Peace: Accelerating the Global Health and Peace Initiative
Host:
WFPHA, WONCA, Brazil, Spain
📍WHO HQ

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Together for Steatotic Liver Disease -The Hidden NCDs
Host:
Global Liver Institute, MoH Egypt
📍Pavillion Gallatin

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Health Diplomacy House
Host:
Health Diplomacy Alliance
📍Rothschild Buildings, Geneva

📅Thursday, 21 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Geneva Digital Health Day
Host:
gdhub
📍Campus Biotech, Geneva

📅Friday, 22 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Promoting Peace and Health: Public Health's Role
Host:
IPPNW
📍Restaurant Vieux Bois

📅Friday, 22 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
ASCVD Policy Roundtable: Advancing Prevention and Chronic Management
Host:
Business Council for International Understanding
📍TBC (Invite)

📅Friday, 22 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Securing the Future: Creating a Sustainable and Equitable Ecosystem for Antimicrobial Innovation
Host:
IPSF, Alliance for Health Promotion, Japan
📍WHO HQ

📅Friday, 22 May 2026
🕙07:30 – 9:30 AM
Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health 2026
Host:
Geneva Health Forum (GHF)
📍Institute of Global Health, Geneva
Is your event missing from the list?
We regularly update this list of WHA78 side events.
If you’re organizing an event and would like it featured here, please share the details with us using the form below.


