Access to health is a fundamental right, but it is also a tireless fight. It requires resolute commitment, as it is one of the pillars upon which countries build their development and people have the means to shape their future. 

This year's edition of the World Health Summit is taking place at a turning point for global health. We are now facing an increasing risk of economic, social and geopolitical fragmentation and witnessing a temptation to turn inwards. Multilateralism is being called into question and scepticism about the effectiveness of our national and global health institutions continues to grow. Science is being challenged – sometimes giving way to beliefs. Admittedly, the present moment is far from the most favourable.

But the COVID-19 crisis taught us painful lessons: first, health is a global challenge requiring collective and coordinated responses. Although the world is fragmenting, no border, no tariff, no isolationism can stop epidemics from propagating. A resilient national health system requires a resilient global health system. Second, preventing a crisis is less costly in human lives and in financial terms than attempting to cure it. Between 2019 and 2021, global average life expectancy fell by 1.8 years, the sharpest decline in recent history. Finally, human health is intrinsically linked to animal health and ecosystems.

The theme of this year’s WHS “Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World” calls for all of us to bridge our divides and find common solutions today to safeguard health for all.  

The challenges we are currently facing also provide opportunities. The accelerated transmission of viruses, the potential emergence of new pathogens driven by climate change, and the vast proliferation of health-related data inherently call for integrated and collaborative responses. It is our responsibility to act on it. 

We can also call several recent victories which show that cooperation and solidarity are the right method to improve health systems around the world. The recent adoption of the Pandemic Agreement is a significant milestone and a collective success. Ongoing discussions on the global health architecture and its financing, conducted in parallel with the UN80 initiative for reforming the United Nations, raise significant questions and offer us a platform to rethink priorities, strengthen integration, and build a more resilient and equitable system together. 

Building on this, we must continue to strengthen and streamline the global health architecture. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) unique coordinating role and key normative function are essential to support not only our nations, but the whole system to build healthier, inclusive and more resilient communities.

We also need to better take into account the interconnection between human, animal and ecosystem health to better prevent and address health crises. This is our objective for the “One Health” summit that France will host next year, as we will look to mobilize all stakeholders engaged in these issues, and recall the crucial role of science, research and partnerships in operationalizing the One Health approach. 

It is our responsibility to make sure that all the fields involved in the global health architecture work better together, to build a more sustainable system.