GENEVA : 19 May 2014 – The World Health Assembly is the annual meeting of WHO’s 194 Member States and is its highest decision-making body. It sets out the Organization’s policy and approves its budget. This year marks the 67th World Health Assembly, which takes place from 19-24 May 2014 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.

Agenda issues for this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) include:

• Update on WHO reform
• Draft global strategy and targets for tuberculosis prevention, care and control
• Global vaccine action plan
• Hepatitis
• Action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases
• Maternal, infant and young child nutrition
• Management of autism spectrum disorders
• Monitoring of the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals
• Health in the post-2015 development agenda
• Draft action plan for newborn health
• Multisectoral action for a life course approach to healthy aging
• Antimicrobial drug resistance
• Access to essential medicines
• Regulatory system strengthening

All official documents and meetings are available in the six UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish). The provisional agenda can be found at: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA67/A67_1-en.pdf

Please note that the days on which particular items are scheduled to be discussed can change. An updated WHA Journal will be posted on the web every morning from 19 May at: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA67/A67_JourP-en.pdf.

All documentation about the World Health Assembly can be found in six languages at: http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha67.html

Technical briefings:

In addition to the official agenda, there will be five technical briefings, which will take place 12:30-14:00 in Room XII, apart from Monday 19 May, when the briefing will take place in Salle VII. These sessions are open to the media and interpretation will be provided in six languages.

Monday, 19 May
Strengthening health security by implementing the International Health Regulations

Tuesday, 20 May
Quality of care around childbirth: a triple return on investments. Ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths

Wednesday, 21 May
Health care under attack:  a call for action

Thursday, 22 May
Goals and targets for health in the post-2015 development agenda

Friday, 23 May
The role of priority setting in universal health coverage: the value of international support for health intervention and technology assessment

Other events which may interest journalists:
Note:  Agenda items in Committee A and B will be rolling so topics may shift days from what is listed below.   Side events being held during the Assembly are listed on pages 8-12 of the Preliminary Journal, dated 9 May (see link above). 

Monday 19 May

09:30-12:00    Opening of the 67th World Health Assembly (Assembly Hall, Palais des Nations)

• Opening by the President of the 66th World Health Assembly
• Election of the President of the 67th World Health Assembly and other officers
• (General Committee meeting)
• Address by the President of the 67th World Health Assembly
• Address by the Chair of the Executive Board.

14:30-15:00    Address by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan      

• The address will be made available to the media immediately after
• Delegates at the plenary will have a general debate on how to ensure the place of health in the next generation of global development goals

15:00 Committee A (Room XVIII)

• Communicable diseases

Tuesday 20 May

09:30–12:30    Committee A (Room XVIII)

• WHO reform

14:30- 15:30   Invited speakers

Name Occupation

Dr. Christine Kaseba-Sata First Lady of Zambia and WHO Goodwill Ambassador against gender-based violence

Melinda Gates Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

15:30 Committee A  (resumes)

Wednesday 21 May - Saturday  24 May (rolling agenda items)

09:00 Committee A (Room XVIII) 

• Communicable Diseases
• Noncommunicable diseases
• Promoting health through the life course
• Health systems

• Preparedness, surveillance and response

 09:00   Opening of Committee B (Room XVII) (following closure of the general discussion in Plenary)

• Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan, followed by other issues (see the Journal)
• Programme budget and financial matters
• Audit and oversight matters

 Thursday, 22 May 17:00 -- Awards ceremony

Award winners for the following five prizes will be announced, with the recipients available for interviews and photos.

• Dr A.T. Shousha Foundation Prize.
• Sasakawa Health Prize.
• United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize.
• State of Kuwait Prize for Research in Health.
• Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health.

 Saturday, 24 May

• Finalization of resolutions and reports

A daily news release, summarizing the key decisions and issues, will be distributed at the end of each day.

Media accreditation procedures for the World Health Assembly:

Correspondents wishing to cover the World Health Assembly are accredited by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Journalists should send a request to Mr François Richer by fax (+41 22 917 0073) or email ( fricher [at] unog.ch (fricher[at]unog[dot]ch)), along with:

• A letter signed by their editor-in-chief indicating the reason for accreditation and the dates for which accreditation is required;
• Photocopy of media credentials (press card);
• Copy of their passport.

 Mr Richer can be contacted at: +41 22 917 4359 (office) or +41 79 477 0865 (mobile) or visit the UNIS webpage at www.unog.ch under “News & media” then “Information for Journalists” – “Accreditation”.

Note: This year people without a photo on their badge must present a photo ID to UN security even in the WHO shuttle.

WHO Communications Office during the WHA: 

Documents for journalists will be available in Press Room I at the Palais.

Media announcements:

Announcements will be made in the UN Press Room of the Palais des Nations regarding the issuing of important documents and news releases, the scheduling of news conferences and briefings, and other items of interest to journalists. 

Press conferences and briefings:

The WHO media team will hold daily briefings 19-23 May

Date                Time                          Location

Tuesday           20 May 10:30             Salle de presse III

Wednesday     21 May 11:00              Salle de presse I

Thursday         22 May 11:00             Salle de presse I

Friday              23 May 10:30             Salle de presse III

Access to meetings:

Most meetings at the World Health Assembly are open to media and can be covered from specially designated press areas. Correspondents should consult the Journal for information on whether meetings are open or closed. To avoid access problems, journalists must wear their accreditation badges visibly.

Journalists may enter the floor of the Assembly Hall and committee rooms only before or after meetings, but must move to the media area promptly when the meetings are about to begin.

Photographs:

Information on the WHO Photo Service for media can be obtained from Chris Black at +41 22 791 1460 (WHO office), +41 79 472 6054 (mobile) or email blackc [at] who.int (blackc[at]who[dot]int). Photographs in high resolution will be available for download from the WHO web site at: www.who.int/entity/mediacentre

Video for broadcasters:

For information on recording events in the Assembly Hall (plenary session), interviews for broadcast TV and the feedpoint, contact Jean-Marc Glinz, Palais des Nations, Studio TV (under door 40 on Level 0) at +41 22 917 5954, +41 79 475 5515 (mobile), or email glinzj [at] who.int (glinzj[at]who[dot]int)

General information for photo & television correspondents:

WHO requests that photo journalists respect the rules set out by Security and Protocol Officers at the World Health Assembly. Flash may be used, but photographers are encouraged to use telephoto lenses and avoid grouping around speakers so as not to disturb their work.

Accredited photo and television correspondents may cover all open meetings of the World Health Assembly and move around freely on the floor of the Assembly Hall and the main committee rooms before meetings are called to order; but must move to the media area when meetings are about to begin. Photographers and camera crews are not allowed on the podium in any of the meeting rooms, including the Assembly Hall. For further information, please contact Chris Black on +41.79.472.6054

_______________________________________________

Media contacts:

Mr Tarik Jasarevic
WHO office: +41 22 791 5099
Mobile: +41 79 367 6214
jasarevict [at] who.int (jasarevict[at]who[dot]int)

Mr Glenn Thomas
WHO office: +41 22 791 3983
Mobile: +41 79 509 0677
thomasg [at] who.int (thomasg[at]who[dot]int)

Mr Chris Black, Audiovisual and photos
WHO office: +41 22 791 1460
Mobile: +41 79 472 6054
blackc [at] who.int (blackc[at]who[dot]int)

Ms Christy Feig
WHO office: +41 22 791 3075
Mobile: +41 79 251 7055
feigc [at] who.int (feigc[at]who[dot]int)                                     

WHO Media Inquiries
mediainquiries [at] who.int (mediainquiries[at]who[dot]int) 

WHO will provide regular updates from the World Health Assembly via Twitter
follow @WHO and hashtag #WHA67

Updates and visuals will also be posted on the WHO corporate accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WHO); Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+who); and Instagram (@WorldHealthOrganization).
 
All WHO information, fact sheet and news releases are available at www.who.int