Public health round-up

The Word Health Organization’s (WHO) new Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who took office on 1 July, unveiled his vision for the future course of the organization’s work in countries throughout the world. “The world expects WHO to do three things: promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. That’s our mission,” he told a meeting of staff from headquarters, regional and country offices last month. The new mission statement is supported by proposed strategic objectives, each with targets outlined in the draft 13th General Programme of Work (GPW) for 2019–2023. The draft GPW was posted on the internet for public consultation from 1 to 15 November and discussed on 22 and 23 November at a special session of the WHO Executive Board. The GPW is being prepared over a period of five months, rather than the usual 18 months, and its strategic objectives focus on outcomes and impact rather than output and process. The proposed objectives are: universal health coverage with a target to extend health coverage to 1 billion more people; global health security, with a target to make 1 billion people safer, and progress towards the sustainable development goals with a target to improve the lives of 1 billion people. In addition, the GPW focuses on four areas: noncommunicable diseases including mental health; climate change with an emphasis on small island states; human capital; and antimicrobial resistance. The Director-General also presented a WHO transformation plan to staff. “This [plan] will be the mechanism for making WHO the organization it needs to be to deliver on our new strategic plan,” he said. More than 260 leaders from WHO headquarters, regional and country offices gathered in Geneva from 30 October to 1 November to discuss the two drafts. They were joined by the United Nations Development Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other partners. Earlier this year, the draft 13th GPW was discussed by officials from WHO Member States at the six regional committee meetings. Next year it will be discussed at the Executive Board meeting on 22–27 January and submitted to the World Health Assembly on 21–26 May for approval. www.who.int/about/gpw-thirteenconsultation