WHO welcomed a delegation of parliamentarians to its headquarters in Geneva on 20 January 2026 for a high-level dialogue on advancing women’s health, strengthening sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), addressing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the future of global health cooperation.
Convened by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the exchange brought together parliamentarians from Albania, Germany, Georgia, Mexico, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Zimbabwe.
Advancing women’s health through integrated approaches
A central theme throughout the dialogue was the need to move beyond fragmented approaches to women’s health. Dr Alia El-Yassir, WHO Director for Gender, Equity and Diversity, highlighted that women’s health outcomes are shaped by gender inequalities, social norms and structural barriers that persist across the life course, requiring coordinated and integrated action across health systems to address these determinants.
Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a landmark global framework adopted in 1995 to advance gender equality and women’s rights – Dr Anna Coates, WHO Gender Equality Technical Lead, noted that progress on women’s health remains uneven globally. She highlighted the need for health systems that are more gender-responsive and capable of addressing women’s health holistically across the life course.
Parliamentarians underscored that health is inseparable from broader social and economic policies, calling for stronger links between evidence, legislation and measurable impact at country level.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights across the life course
The dialogue also focused on SRHR, where parliamentarians expressed strong interest in engaging on issues that directly affect their constituents.
Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing, outlined WHO’s life‑course approach to SRHR. She highlighted how health needs evolve from birth to older age and how these are shaped by wider context, including social determinants, humanitarian crises and shifting demographic trends.
Dr Allotey underscored the crucial role of parliamentarians in advancing SRHR and the importance of continued engagement with WHO and the Human Reproduction Programme to support evidence-based policy-making.
Cancer: from prevention to quality of life
The agenda underscored cancer as a growing priority for women’s health and health system sustainability. Dr Prebo Barango, Lead for the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, Dr Meghan Doherty, consultant for palliative care and Mr Santiago Milan, Lead for the WHO Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicine, presented the Organization’s integrated approach to cancer control, detailing global progress in prevention, screening, access to essential medicines and palliative care, including initiatives targeting cervical, breast and childhood cancers.
The discussion highlighted the need for sustained political commitment and domestic investment to address NCDs. Parliamentarians shared national experiences that illustrated the far‑reaching social and economic impacts of cancer on families and caregivers, reinforcing the importance of improving health literacy, reducing stigma and delivering people-centred care.
The agenda underscored cancer as a growing priority for women’s health and health system sustainability. Dr Prebo Barango, Lead for the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, Dr Meghan Doherty, consultant for palliative care and Mr Santiago Milan, Lead for the WHO Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicine, presented the Organization’s integrated approach to cancer control, detailing global progress in prevention, screening, access to essential medicines and palliative care, including initiatives targeting cervical, breast and childhood cancers.
The discussion highlighted the need for sustained political commitment and domestic investment to address NCDs. Parliamentarians shared national experiences that illustrated the far‑reaching social and economic impacts of cancer on families and caregivers, reinforcing the importance of improving health literacy, reducing stigma and delivering people-centred care.
Future of global health and multilateralism
The dialogue also addressed the broader state of global multilateralism. Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care, outlined how WHO has undertaken significant restructuring and a realignment process to enhance WHO’s efficiency, impact and capacity to support countries. He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to more systematic engagement with parliaments, recognizing their pivotal role in shaping health policy, legislation and budgetary decisions.
Looking ahead
The dialogue reflected a shared understanding that improving women’s health requires political leadership, sustained investment and agile multilateral institutions. The exchange concluded with a shared call for continued collaboration, including through partnerships with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, building on ongoing parliamentary engagement efforts and in view of the upcoming UNITE Global Summit 2026 taking place on 6-7 March in Manila, in the Philippines.