This year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) arrived at a pivotal moment as Member States grappled with significant shifts in the global health landscape – including growing budgetary constraints.

While undeniably a challenging time for global health policy, there were significant moments of progress and hope. The Boehringer team was on the ground hosting a full day of events in collaboration with the NCD Alliance, covering topics like cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CRM) conditions, mental health, lung health, and patient advocacy. With contributions from policymakers, patient advocates, academics and clinical experts, it was a fantastic opportunity to hear from changemakers from across the global health community and to drive consensus on how we can best deliver meaningful change in global health.

In this blog post, two members of our Public and Government Affairs team share their highlights and key takeaways from WHA78.

A historic moment for kidney health - Serge de Ruysscher

My highlight has to be the historic adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) kidney health resolution, which calls for Member States to integrate kidney disease into national health policies, strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration, and expand interventions targeting diabetes and hypertension. This is the first time kidney health has been formally prioritised within the WHO’s NCD agenda and reflects the growing recognition of kidney diseases, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is estimated to effect over 10 percent of the global population,1 as a critical global health priority.

I am also left with the reflection that we now stand at a pivotal moment to turn resolution to action. As highlighted during the launch of a new global report, written by Future Health and commissioned by Boehringer Ingelheim, The Power of Connection: Strengthening Health Policy Responses to Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases, despite significant willingness and motivation across the global health community, we still stand some way from achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal target for reducing the global NCD mortality rate by 2030. As shared in the report, there remains as yet unrealised potential to tackle CRM diseases together, moving beyond treating single diseases and instead adopting integrated care models that reflect how deeply these conditions are connected. Looking ahead to the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4), we now have another critical opportunity to ensure that not only does action on CKD continue to be recognised as a global health priority, but that its interconnectedness with cardiovascular disease and other NCDs is fully reflected.

An increasing profile for serious mental health – Aileen Rice-Jones

It was incredibly encouraging to see the growing emphasis on mental health at the WHA, with numerous side events (often held in collaboration with Member States) dedicated to the topic, highlighting that mental health is becoming an increasingly important global and domestic health priority. One notable example was Mental Health for All: Global Action and Collaboration, organised by the National Centre for Mental Health under the China Health Committee, and co-hosted by China, Chile, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Switzerland.

This increased profile of mental health at WHA reflects a long-overdue recognition of the mental health burden, its interconnection with other NCDs, and the growing political momentum toward improving care to better support individuals living with mental, and serious mental, health conditions – a crucial step ahead of the HLM4 later this year.

Key issues tabled for the Assembly and discussed on the sidelines of WHA included suicide prevention, community-based mental health care, youth mental health, and the broader social and commercial determinants of mental health. The global community also discussed mental health through the lens of financing — specifically, the need to scale up domestic investment and support context-specific solutions.

These themes closely align with Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment to advancing holistic, integrated models of mental health care, and we remain committed to supporting national governments in the development and implementation of fully funded, comprehensive mental health strategies that address the full spectrum of conditions — strategies that are person-centred, sustainable, and grounded in lived experience.

From resolution to implementation

The conversations at WHA78 demonstrated strong motivation among policy stakeholders to drive meaningful change and improve health for all. Motivation alone though is not enough. To sustain momentum, countries must now translate resolutions into concrete policies and implementation strategies.

As we approach the HLM4, we must ensure that chronic conditions such as kidney disease and mental health remain central to the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. Through sustained investment, robust policy frameworks, and global collaboration, we can reduce the burden of NCDs and advance health equity worldwide.