In the lead-up to the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA), Geneva, Switzerland became a global convening point for health leaders and innovators across sectors. In May, representatives from government, civil society, philanthropy, academia, health care, and industry came together to exchange ideas and surface solutions for some of the most urgent challenges facing global health today.
Throughout panel discussions, fireside chats, and roundtables, one message came through clearly: to make meaningful progress, we need integrated, systems-level approaches that reflect the complexity of people’s lives and the health systems that serve them.
As the Rabin Martin team engaged in conversations in Geneva, several key themes emerged.
Health is everyone’s responsibility
“When there is an outbreak, the minister of health is responsible. But where are the other ministers, like the minister of environment?” – Dr. Amr Kandeel, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Preventive Medicine, Public Health, and Primary Care Affairs for the Arab Republic of Egypt
Health is shaped long before a person enters a clinic. Our environments, financial security, education, employment, and social and economic conditions all play a significant role in determining health outcomes. Yet the burden of addressing health challenges too often sits with health ministers, health care practitioners, and health systems alone.
It is time for leaders at every level — from health, finance, housing, and education ministries to health care practitioners, teachers, faith leaders, and community-based organizations – to come together around a shared vision for health and acknowledge that improving health is a collective responsibility.
“The human face of the climate crisis is public health.” Daniel Stander, Deputy Chair of the Board, Resilient Cities Network
The connection between climate change and health was echoed repeatedly in discussions on dengue, lung disease, and other health conditions exacerbated by environmental factors. As climate change leads to more disease outbreaks and greater air pollution, it’s imperative to join forces with other sectors. Health ministries play a critical role, but they cannot carry the responsibility alone. Environment, housing, sanitation, urban planning, education, and finance leaders must work collaboratively to prevent and respond to growing health threats.
Resolutions need action
“Support of rare disease is a reflection of how inclusive our health system is. If we can take care of patients with a rare disease, we can take care of anyone.” – H.E. Dr. Mónica García Gómez, Minister of Health, Spain
Last year, the WHA adopted important resolutions, including Rare Diseases: A Global Health Priority for Equity and Inclusion and Promoting and Prioritizing an Integrated Lung Health Approach. WHA resolutions are critical tools for setting global health priorities, calling Member States to action, and creating shared policy direction for countries to rally behind. Throughout sessions at this year’s WHA, there was consensus on a key point: resolutions are only the beginning. The real challenge, and opportunity, lies in turning commitments into implementation and sustained impact.
Government leaders from Malaysia, Spain, Egypt, Ghana, and beyond joined nonprofit, global health, and private sector leaders to discuss how countries are already putting the WHA rare disease resolution into practice in ways that reflect their own national contexts. For example, Spain has designed a knowledge-transfer network to share information and learnings among providers treating rare diseases. Tunisia implemented a multi-year project to improve the diagnosis and management of children with genetic diseases.
Similarly, on lung disease, we heard how health leaders from Australia, the UAE, and Malaysia are tackling two of the highest-burden lung diseases — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer – one year after the adoption of the integrated lung health resolution. From AI-enabled lung cancer screening to more accessible data systems, speakers emphasized the importance of learning from different countries and contexts as they build, strengthen, and scale systems to address lung disease.
As Dorothy Keefe, CEO of Cancer Australia, put it: “Lift, shift, and tailor.” This simple framing captured a broader call to action: progress does not require countries to start from scratch. Instead, health systems can learn from what is working elsewhere, adapt solutions to local needs, and move faster toward integrated approaches that improve prevention, diagnosis, and care.
Real-time, integrated data drives change
“Lack of data is not the problem. The data is fragmented and delayed, so it’s too late to act on. We’ve been talking about data for action for two decades, but we’re still not getting it right. Data from community health workers is not getting into the mainstream to make decisions at the district and facility levels.” – Dr. Fouzia Shafique, Associate Director for Health, UNICEF
Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions were central to many conversations at WHA, but speakers noted that technology alone is not enough to solve health challenges. For these tools to be effective, they must be built on high-quality, contextually relevant data and designed for diverse populations and health system realities.
Too often, the issue is not a lack of data, but a lack of connected data. This fragmentation limits the ability of health systems to respond quickly, allocate resources effectively, and learn from what is happening closest to communities. Greater integration of data is essential so that local clinics, district hospitals and health systems can access information responsibly, share knowledge more easily between levels of care, make smarter and faster budget and workforce decisions, and advance innovations from promising pilots to sustained improvements to strengthen the delivery of care.
In discussions on cancer care, antimicrobial resistance, global health security, and outbreak response, leaders emphasized the need for quality data that is available and actionable in real time. As David Reddy, Director General, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations highlighted, “WHO made the hantavirus sequence available swiftly – that’s what’s needed to address outbreaks.”
Integrated data systems are not only critical in moments of crisis. They are also essential for prevention. Better access to connected, timely data can help health leaders anticipate future needs for vaccines, diagnostics, treatment, and health services; model the spread of the growing burden of non-communicable diseases; and identify solutions that are tailored to specific communities. Armed with this information, health systems can direct resources more precisely, design more effective interventions, and ultimately deliver better outcomes at lower cost.
As Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation, put it: “Prediction is prevention.”
Looking Ahead
What was one core theme that emerged from nearly every conversation during side events in Geneva? Progress in global health depends on moving from commitment to coordinated action.
Whether recognizing health as a shared responsibility across sectors, translating resolutions into implementation, or building integrated data systems, sustained impact requires collaboration at every level. “Partnerships are the only way to move forward,” as Isabel Mestres, CEO of City Cancer Challenge, succinctly stated.
At Rabin Martin, this is where we do our best work: helping partners align around shared goals, navigate complex health challenges, and turn ambition into action for healthier, more resilient communities.