Under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippines achieved significant milestones at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) it presided over for the first time since the global body was founded in 1948.

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa was elected to preside over the annual World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), comprising 194 member nations.

President Marcos acknowledged the Philippines’ growing role in shaping international health policies, as shown by Herbosa’s election.

In a Palace press briefing on Thursday, Herbosa stated that the country’s leadership during the WHA played a crucial role in shaping health agreements that benefit low- and middle-income countries, including the Philippines.

He named among the country’s achievements the access to a USD25 million pandemic fund from the World Bank to boost capacity to respond to future health emergencies.

The WHA also adopted the landmark Pandemic Agreement, strongly supported by the Philippines, to eliminate global inequalities in access to vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and health technologies during pandemics and other crises.

Herbosa noted that the Philippines secured global backing for using advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to improve tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment.

Herbosa said the WHA recognized the Philippines as a global leader in producing skilled health workers, enabling stronger partnerships to protect Filipino healthcare professionals at home and abroad.

He said that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) pledged support for universal health coverage and ethical recruitment efforts for Filipino nurses and healthcare workers. | PND