Axel R. Pries, WHS President: “Health Is an Investment in Resilient Societies” 

Good morning to you all. 

We are meeting at a moment when health around the world is under pressure from several directions: Conflict and geopolitical tensions, economic strains, the climate crisis, and increasing inequities are putting health systems under growing pressure. We need to address these challenges with forward-looking responses and new approaches. This is the backdrop for the World Health Summit 2026 under the overarching leitmotif: “From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health.”  

Innovation is crucial to this. We are in a phase of groundbreaking inventions in medical technologies and biomedicine. But when we speak about innovation, we also mean better ways to finance health, strengthen the health workforce, organize supply chains, deliver care, and build effective partnerships. Innovations for health must address the entire pipeline. From invention to implementation. And they have to be judged by their impact on the ground: Does it work? Can it be scaled? Does it reach the people who need it most?  

These are questions that we discuss at the World Health Summit 2026, the leading platform for global health. It brings together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector. Ministers of health, practitioners, physicians, heads of multilateral organizations, CEOs, civil society leaders, students, patients, and many others meet on equal footing to exchange and to address key health priorities.  This multi-sector, inclusive and global exchange is needed. Because none of the challenges we are discussing can be solved by one sector, one institution, or one country alone. And health cannot be separated from geopolitics, economics, security, or climate. 

The World Health Summit both here in Berlin and -through its Regional Meetings- around the world provides a space for precisely this exchange: connecting global and regional perspectives, scientific evidence and political decision-making, and ideas with implementation. In times of growing tensions, we need a trusted space. A space where diverse perspectives can be heard. 

This year, we expect more than 4,000 participants here in Berlin and tens of thousands online. The World Health Summit typically includes participants from two thirds of the world’s countries. More than 400 speakers will contribute to over 75 sessions, complemented by more than 75 side meetings. Not to mention the thousands of spontaneous and scheduled bilateral and multilateral exchanges.

The program is too vast to be represented here. But let me highlight 3 examples:  
Next year, the new WHO Director-General will be elected. Later today, prospective candidates will offer their perspectives on the future direction of the organization and their priorities for global health.  

There is another highlight this afternoon. The launch of the report of the Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health. This report identifies the major health threats of the coming decades. 

And don’t miss the WHS Signature Event tomorrow evening. It will bring together leading voices to show how partnership and innovation can improve health globally. It will culminate in a major new initiative to accelerate action against stillbirth.  

Over the next three days, we will take a comprehensive look at health: We will discuss how the global health architecture needs to evolve in a changing world, how we improve pandemic prevention, how we advance health equity for women, children, and young people, how we build future-ready health systems. We will also put a strong focus on health in conflict settings and on the environmental drivers of health.  

Across all these areas and beyond, the questions are the same: How do we move from crises-response toward building systems that are more resilient, equitable, and prepared for the future? How do we develop concrete ideas, partnerships, commitments, and actions? 

And we must not forget: Health is not simply another area of public spending. It is an investment. An investment in resilient societies, economic stability, security, and human development. 

Thank you for your attention.