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WHS Flagship EventWHS

WHS Opening Night

Date

Sunday, 11th October

Time

18:00-22:30 CEST

16:00-20:30 UTC

Room

Pavilion

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About the session

Join us for the WHS Opening Night, marking the official start of the World Health Summit 2026. The evening brings together participants, speakers, and members of the WHS Academic Alliance to connect, celebrate, and strengthen partnerships in global health.

Hosted by Augusta Tang and WHS President Axel R. Pries, together with WHS CEO Carsten Schicker and Charité CEO Heyo Kroemer, the program will open the Summit under this year’s theme: “From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health.”

The evening will highlight partnerships across governments and multilateral institutions, philanthropy and innovation, and academic institutions and regions. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Carsten Linnemann, will reflect on international cooperation and mark five years of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin.

Anita Zaidi of the Gates Foundation and Veronica Adamson of Wellcome Leap will announce a major new commitment to prevent stillbirths.

The traditional handover of the WHS International Presidency will also take place, transitioning from the 2026 Regional Meeting in Nairobi to the 2027 Regional Meeting in Hong Kong, China.

The official program will conclude with a joint welcome, followed by drinks, refreshments, music, and opportunities to connect.
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