Agence France-Presse: WHO to better respond to emergencies
“Member states of the World Health Organization have agreed a long-awaited reform of the agency so that it responds more quickly and effectively to emergency situations…” (5/26).

Devex: Can WHO bring speed and predictability to emergency work?
“…Health experts and humanitarian organizations, Médecins Sans Frontières being among the most vocal, heavily criticized the pace of WHO’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and the ensuing panels and committees all arrived at the conclusion that change was needed at the U.N.’s health agency…” (Ravelo, 5/24).

Global Health NOW: The Urgency of Climate Change Response
“The global health community must use its unique position to translate and advocate for the importance of meeting the climate change challenge, U.N. climate change leader Christiana Figueres told the World Health Assembly yesterday…” (Simpson, 5/25).

NPR: WHO Aims To Reform Itself But Health Experts Aren’t Yet Impressed
“…WHO is creating a team devoted exclusively to handling health emergencies, such as Zika in Latin America or yellow fever in Angola. In the past, the agency has had to rebuild this team from scratch every time an epidemic cropped up…” (Doucleff, 5/25).

Xinhua News: World Health Assembly agrees new Health Emergencies Programme
“…The new program is designed to deliver rapid, predictable, and comprehensive support to countries and communities as they prepare for, face, or recover from emergencies caused by any type of hazard to human health, whether disease outbreaks, natural or man-made disasters, or conflicts…” (5/25).