Global Health Cooperation Is More Critical Than Ever, Experts Say

This July marks eight decades since delegates from 61 nations signed the WHO constitution in New York City, a pact built on the premise that disease knows no borders. Over that span, the organization has helped eliminate smallpox, drive down polio cases, broaden vaccine coverage, and combat HIV, contributing to a global rise in life expectancy of more than 25 years. Current outbreaks—including Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, measles surges across the Americas, and the recent hantavirus episode—underscore that health emergencies can arise anywhere.

The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the lesson that no single country can manage such threats alone, prompting member states to adopt a Pandemic Agreement to improve equity and preparedness. The WHO’s Universal Health and Preparedness Review identifies national gaps, while the Pandemic Fund, jointly administered with the World Bank, finances projects in about 70 countries to strengthen surveillance, labs, workforce, and cross-sector coordination.