Leading Into a Healthier Future: Three Takeaways from the United Nations General Assembly
Leading Into a Healthier Future: Three Takeaways from the United Nations General Assembly
By Marian W. Wentworth, MSH President and CEO

Every year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) brings together world leaders to discuss some of the most pressing challenges impacting the global community and to promote collective action toward addressing these issues. This year, health was once again at the forefront. One of only three high-level meetings was focused on a major health crisis—antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Health was also a prominent theme in many side events and meetings. Throughout the week, one thing was quite evident: we need leadership at all levels to drive progress on health.
Here are three ways I saw this message underscored at UNGA:
Leadership at the Top Signals Priority: 2024 is a historic election year, with two billion people voting in more than 60 countries. In these elections, and over the past few years, we’ve seen rising nationalism and more polarization. But, even against this backdrop, world leaders showed up, recommitted to supporting global health goals, and demonstrated their belief in the individual and collective benefit of building healthy communities. With so much uncertainty, and the fear that some countries might retreat and turn inward, it was extremely important to see that health policy is in the mix among their highest priorities. These expressions of commitment are more than just words—the work to get to the meetings and the space that is created to make good on those commitments are critical to mobilizing action that saves lives. In fact, 193 countries adopted the political declaration on fighting AMR, providing yet another strong example of commitment that drives action.

Local Leadership Steers the Ship: Since MSH’s founding, what is now called localization has always been at the heart and foundation of our work. Local leaders know their communities best, and learning from their input and supporting their priorities is the only way to achieve sustainable progress. At UNGA, the emphasis on localization was stronger than in years past. In particular, many African leaders expressed the need for African institutions to advance their leadership in health, from clinical research infrastructure to building capabilities to manufacture their own medicines and supplies. While it was great to hear from these local voices, there is certainly room for more.
Technical Leadership Advances the Work: Some of the most interesting discussions at UNGA featured practitioners, implementers, civil society—those who are closest to the work. To kick off the week, MSH convened leaders on the frontlines of AMR to talk about the practical steps they are taking to stop this crisis. I also had the opportunity to join roundtables focused on problems that cut across implementers and funders, such as headwinds with respect to advancing reproductive health and challenges with developing long-term support for frontline health care workers. These conversations provide the vital space for roadblocks to turn into solutions.

What’s next?
One of the things I appreciate about UNGA is the opportunity to make new connections, discuss ideas, ideate on challenging problems, and deepen relationships with existing partners while exploring possibilities for new ones. While leadership is key, it can only get you so far. The other critical part of the equation is partnership. This week was a reminder of how many other people and organizations want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us to do this important work. So, while there is much more needed to advance health for all, I left UNGA feeling recharged and recommitted to our mission. Even in the face of increasing global challenges, I am hopeful that with strong leadership, partnership, and collaboration, we can reach the global health goals—helping people become healthier and laying the foundation for communities to thrive.