Press Release
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The World Health Summit Opening Night 2026 in Berlin on Sunday evening marked the fifth anniversary of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence and looked ahead to the 2027 WHS Regional Meeting in Hong Kong, China.
“Health around the world is being challenged by compounding crises, from conflict and geopolitical tensions to climate change and widening inequities. To strengthen cooperation, resilience, and new approaches to health in this context, the World Health Summit stimulates new solutions and partnerships between science, politics, civil society, and the private sector,” said Axel R. Pries, President of the World Health Summit.
Building on this call for greater cooperation, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Georg Kippels, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Health of Germany, reflected on how the WHO Hub in Berlin strengthens preparedness for and response to health threats.
“Five years ago, at the World Health Summit, WHO and Germany celebrated the launch of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin with a vision to harness collaboration, data, and innovation to better protect the world from health threats,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Five years on, the Hub has gone from strength to strength, helping countries detect and respond to threats faster, strengthening preparedness, and making the world safer from pathogens that know no borders. As health risks become more complex, the Hub serves as a beacon for the future of epidemic and pandemic surveillance, turning data into action to protect lives and strengthen global health security.”
“Five years after its launch, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin has become an important part of the global architecture for pandemic and epidemic intelligence. Germany is proud to host the Hub. It strengthens our ability to detect and respond to health threats early and stands for our continued commitment to international cooperation and a strong, effective and science-based WHO,” emphasized Georg Kippels.
From Nairobi, Kenya, to Hong Kong, China
The Opening Night also looked ahead to the 2027 WHS Regional Meeting in Hong Kong, China, with the handover of the WHS International Presidency from Lukoye Atwoli (Aga Khan University) to Chak-sing Lau (The University of Hong Kong).
“Receiving the baton from Nairobi is such a privilege, and HKUMed is ready to help shape the next chapter of global health collaboration. We will harness our city’s role as a superconnector to bring together leaders and changemakers. ‘Health Across Borders’ is our ambition to turn connections into actions, and scientific advances into better health for everyone,” said Chak-sing Lau, incoming International President of the World Health Summit and host of the WHS Regional Meeting 2027.
The WHS Regional Meeting 2027 will be hosted by the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China, from May 7 to 9, 2027. Each year, the World Health Summit in Berlin is complemented by a Regional Meeting in a different part of the world, where local and regional health priorities come to the forefront. The meeting is hosted by the WHS Academic Alliance member holding the World Health Summit International Presidency, which rotates annually.
The World Health Summit 2026
Under the theme “From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health,” the World Health Summit 2026 brings together more than 4,000 participants on-site and tens of thousands online, from October 11–13, featuring more than 400 speakers across over 75 sessions. All sessions of the WHS 2026 main program are livestreamed on the World Health Summit YouTube channel and will remain available as recordings.
About the World Health Summit
The World Health Summit is the leading platform for global health. Founded in 2009, it brings together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society to set the agenda for a healthier future. The annual Summit is held every October in Berlin, organized by the WHS Foundation GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The Summits are complemented each year by a WHS Regional Meeting held in a different part of the world, where regional health priorities take center stage.
Press Contact
World Health Summit Communications Team
Anna Störmer & Marie Wolf
communications@worldhealthsummit.org