Belgium and the World Health Organization have mapped out their strategic priorities for global health collaboration, committing to strengthened partnerships on universal health coverage, health-systems strengthening, and equitable access to essential vaccines, medicines and health technologies. The agreement follows a multi-day strategic dialogue in Geneva involving senior diplomats, technical experts, and regional leadership.
The high-level discussions brought together representatives from Belgium’s federal government alongside delegates from the Flemish and Walloon regional governments. According to the WHO, the talks focused on aligning international development cooperation priorities with evolving global health landscapes, building directly on initiatives highlighted during Belgium’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2024.
“After listening to the leaders and experts of WHO we now better understand how they are navigating these challenging times,” said Koen Van Acoleyen, Minister Counselor at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the UN. “We are honoured that we can walk this road together.”
Accelerating Equitable Access to Vaccines and Medicines
A core pillar of the renewed framework centers on expanding equitable access to essential vaccines, medicines, and health technologies. During the dialogue, delegates reviewed ongoing results from the Access to Medicines programme funded by Belgium, examining implementation challenges and successes at the country level, such as operations in Senegal.
Both organizations emphasized that market shaping is key to the sustainability of the Access to Medicines initiative. WHO technical experts outlined current policies designed to foster local production capabilities.
Health Emergencies and Pandemic Preparedness
Discussions also addressed global health security, focusing on WHO’s ongoing efforts to reinforce the international architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience. Participants reviewed the status of international pandemic agreement negotiations and the operationalization of the One Health approach, which links human, animal, and environmental health.
The dialogue highlighted field-level emergency responses, including WHO health operations in Gaza, alongside broader strategies for mitigating biological risks and zoonotic threats.
Universal Health Coverage and Country-Level Impact
Reviewing the UHC-Partnership framework supported by Belgium between 2021 and 2024, participants evaluated health system advancements across multiple partner nations. Country examples from the Democratic Republic of Congo illustrated both operational hurdles and effective strategies for integrating mental health services into primary care infrastructure.
The multi-year agreement also covers specialized public health domains, including neglected tropical diseases and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Officials reaffirmed that evidence-based interventions remain essential for achieving sustainable development goals across vulnerable populations.
“We thank you for your support, honesty, and strong engagement for global health,” said Dr Catharina Boehme, Assistant Director-General, External Relations and Governing Bodies at the WHO. “Your efforts in supporting our work in Mozambique and Senegal are clear examples of the crucial work we accomplish together.”
Belgian delegation from the Federal government, as well as Flemish and Walloon governments with WHO representatives, 2-5 March 2025. Photo by: WHO/Christopher Black
Looking Ahead Under the Fourteenth General Programme of Work
Looking toward the future, the two partners discussed frameworks for a renewed WHO-Belgium Country Cooperation Strategy. The enhanced partnership aims to support the broader ambitions of the WHO 14th General Programme of Work (GPW14), which places universal health coverage and health systems strengthening at the core of international prioritization.
“We recognize WHO as a trustworthy partner in global health. We felt proud hearing how crucial our support is to the Organization and how it is having a positive impact at country, regional, and global levels,” said Dirk Brems, Director of Thematic and Multilateral Cooperation at the Directorate-General Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. “It’s important we continue these discussions as we tread uncharted territories, and we look forward to working together for strong and sustained multilateralism.”
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