BY ADEKOLA BOLUWAJI NIFEMI
The World Health Summit 2024 has ended after three days with over 380 speakers in 67 sessions. More than 3,500 participants from 140 countries were on site in Berlin. Up to now, the WHS 2024 has received a total of more than 21,000 views online. In addition, there are more than 65,000 views on the WHO social media channels, where the speeches of WHO Director-General Dr Tedros were live streamed.
The speakers included numerous government officials from all over the world, and there were more female speakers than male speakers: 51% women, 49% men.
The central event of the WHS 2024 was the largest donor event for the WHO Investment Round so far, with pledges totaling one billion US dollars made or reaffirmed. The pledged funds come from numerous European countries, the EU, the African Union, non-profit organizations and the private sector. More than 1,700 participants attended the presentation of the WHO Investment Round on-site and far more than 46,500 live online.
“In recent years, the World Health Summit has become a central platform and inclusive forum where the course is set for the future of global healthcare,” said Carsten Schicker, CEO of the World Health Summit. “By working closely with WHO and other international partners, we are actively contributing to developing sustainable solutions and decisively strengthening initiatives for global health goals.”
The third and final day focused on topics such as Mpox, financing strategies for the future and climate change and health.
The Minister of Health of Malawi, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, appealed to the global community: “We must tackle the climate crisis through collective action and long-term investment. Together we can make great and rapid progress.”
Another highlight of the last day was the presentation of the Lancet Report “Global Health 2050: The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health 3.0,” which focuses on ensuring global health despite global crises through technological advancements and investments. Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet said: “With formidable leadership and judicious investment, premature mortality could be halved by mid-century – a goal the commission calls “50 by 50”.
On the agenda of the World Health Summit 2024 under the motto „Building Trust for a Healthier World“ were topics like health equity, women’s health, threats from pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and the role of digital technologies in improving global healthcare.
The World Health Summit is the international platform for global health. It brings together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society from around the world to set the agenda for a healthier future and well-being for all. The World Health Summit strengthens exchange, stimulates innovative solutions to health challenges, fosters global health as a key political issue, and promotes the global health debate in the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The World Health Summit as a conference and strategic forum takes place every year in October in Berlin and was founded in 2009 at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The President of the World Health Summit is Prof. Axel R. Pries.
