The five-day meeting, which comes amid a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo hopes to adopt a strategic plan to help countries meet the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
An estimated 100 million people are pushed into poverty by health costs according to a report by the WHO and the World Bank.
Addressing the assembly on Monday, Swiss President Alain Berset praised the organisation for its efforts to promote vaccination campaigns worldwide and combat the anti-immune deficiency syndrome, AIDS.
He said health was a fundamental pillar for prosperity, peace and security human. He added Switzerland supported efforts to provide health services to particularly vulnerable people around the world.
WHOExternal link was set up by the United Nations 70 years ago. It has a staff of more than 7,000 people working in 150 country offices, including at the Geneva headquarters.
Berset who is also Swiss interior minister in charge of health issues, also plans to hold bilateral meetings with health ministers from several other countries.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
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As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
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After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
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A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
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The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
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Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
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TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
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The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
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The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
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Berset welcomes Tedros as new WHO chief
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Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset has welcomed the appointment of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the new head of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Swiss minister calls for WHO reforms to be ‘accelerated’
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World Health Organization (WHO) reforms must be speeded up to build a stronger, more unified health body, says Switzerland’s health minister.
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Preliminary results of tests on an Ebola vaccine trialled in Guinea have shown promising results, according to researchers at the University of Bern. They were part of an international group testing the vaccine known as rVSV-ZEBOV.
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The director-general of the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Michael Møller, says Switzerland has an important role to play in the world.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.