WHS Opening Night

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, as well as academic institutions and regions. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, Georg Kippels, will reflect on international cooperation and mark five years of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin.

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.