The 77th World Health Assembly brought together global leaders to deliberate on crucial negotiations. Overall, member states are disappointed that they could not come to an agreement on the pandemic treaty but they left both excited because they were able to make the crucial amendments to the International Health Regulations and hopeful that they could resolve the outstanding issues on the Pandemic Agreement within the next 12 months. It has been encouraging to see member states and partners prioritizing immunization for zero-dose children and other vital health issues throughout the intensive week-long World Health Assembly. While all these negotiations were ongoing, VillageReach actively participated and hosted several related side events across Geneva this year. Participating and leading a few of these exciting panels was especially an honor.  

We advocated and rallied, placing our best foot forward in making the case for cross-sector collaboration in health system strengthening and digital health, investing in community health workers and prioritizing a people-centered approach in achieving responsive primary health care systems.  

Intersecting Public and Private Sectors 

Pathfinder hosted a side event that underscored the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors in improving health systems in Africa and Asia. I joined a diverse mix of panelists, including NGO,  private-sector and Africa CDC representatives, who highlighted the crucial role of long-term partnerships in driving impactful change, particularly in health system strengthening.  

From VillageReach’s standpoint, I stressed the importance of aligning with the government’s policies and strategies and the active involvement of the private sector in addressing needs and priorities while fostering innovation. Our Health Center by Phone initiative in Malawi and the Outsourced Transport Resource Center served as tangible examples of our approach.