GHSCO Newsletter
June 2025
Volume2 Number2
News1
The 78th World Health Assembly Charts Course for Stronger Pandemic Response and Sweeping WHO Reforms
19-27 May 2025, 78th World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland
Dr. Yongmee Jee, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), presided over the opening session of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78). In her capacity as Vice President of WHA77, Dr. Jee announced the newly elected President of WHA78 and handed over the leadership of the Assembly.
Dr. Jee, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency at the opening session of WHA78.
A key highlight of WHA78 was the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, a significant milestone in global health governance. During WHA77, the definition of "pandemic" was revisited in light of lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis. This year, Member States unanimously adopted the Pandemic Agreement, the second legally binding international health accord, aimed at ensuring equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, and strengthening global cooperation in future health emergencies.
Another major topic of discussion was the potential impact of the United States’ stated intention to withdraw from WHO. This raised concerns about WHO’s future budget and workforce. In response, Member States approved a 20 percent increase in Assessed Contributions to ensure sustainable financing. While this may affect WHO's internal workforce structure, the organization reaffirmed its plan to pursue structural reforms to enhance operational efficiency.
Despite these challenges, meaningful progress was made toward strengthening pandemic preparedness and financial sustainability. Several key resolutions were adopted, including those on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), science-based health policies, climate change and health, and rare diseases. These decisions represent a broader global commitment to comprehensive approaches for achieving better health and well-being for all.
Commissioner Dr. Jee’s Visit to Tonga: 2-12 February
Earlier this year, Commissioner Dr. Jee visited Tonga as a member of the WHO Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAC) to assess the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and to support public health emergency preparedness in the Western Pacific Region.
This region faces wide disparities in population size, climate conditions, and health system capacity. Tonga, in particular, is geographically vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases and climate-related health threats due to its remote isolation and frequent natural disasters.
During her visit, Dr. Jee met with Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific (WPRO). They discussed various strategies for addressing NCDs, climate change and health systems, which are key challenges for Tonga. The meeting highlighted the need for tailored support, especially in building a skilled health workforce and mobilizing resources.
The bilateral discussions reaffirmed the importance of expanding the scope of cooperation to further enhance preparedness and response to both communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as climate change-related health risks. These efforts will require more effective partnerships and increased global support. The KDCA remains committed to identifying urgent public health needs, and developing practical and sustainable solutions through international collaboration.
KDCA and WHO WPRO Sign MOU to Advance Technical Cooperation: 22 May 2025
On the sidelines of WHA78, the KDCA and WHO WPRO held a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony to strengthen bilateral collaboration. Building on discussions held during Dr. Jee’s visit to Tonga, the two sides discussed Korea’s longstanding financial contributions to WPRO since 2006 and explored ways to enhance cooperation in key areas such as infectious disease prevention and control, tuberculosis management, and NCD surveillance. WPRO Regional Director Dr. Piukala expressed his expectation for increased support from Korea and looked forward to deeper collaboration under the renewed MOU framework.
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office
Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation with ECDC: 16 May 2025
KDCA previously signed a MOU with European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to strengthen joint responses to cross-border infectious disease threats during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MOU outlines key areas of cooperation, including public health emergency preparedness and response, infectious disease surveillance, risk assessment, laboratory capacities, antimicrobial resistance, and immunization. This visit held particularly significance as it marked resumption of high-level policy dialogue and technical collaboration between two agencies, which had been delayed due to the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, even after the signing of the MOU.
Commissioner Dr. Jee stated,
“Amid a rapidly changing international landscape, multilateral cooperation remains critical to improving the health of people around the world. I believe that this year’s 78th World Health Assembly serves as an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation with countries and international organizations, and to further expand Korea’s leadership in the global health sector”.