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.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
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In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
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Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
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Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
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From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
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Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
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Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
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2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
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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.