During the 77th World Health Assembly, the Group of Friends of the WHO Academy was officially launched. Founding members including France, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar and Rwanda attended the event and expressed their support through their ministers or vice-ministers of health. With 30 Member States in attendance, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked the founding Friends for their commitment to building a global health workforce that is equipped with lifelong learning capabilities.
Dr. Tedros emphasized that the WHO Academy is a crucial aspect of the WHO Transformation initiative that began in 2018. The academy will be an important asset for member states as it will change the way WHO supports countries in building capacities. He highlighted how support from the Group of Friends will be vital in driving this change and making health education a top priority worldwide.
The WHO Academy campus in Lyon, supported by France, is set to open its doors at the end of 2024. This campus will offer evidence-based courses online and on-site capacity-building programs to cater to the needs of healthcare professionals across different countries. By providing training opportunities that meet global standards, the academy aims to enhance healthcare services worldwide and promote lifelong learning in health care workforce.
As part of their commitment to promoting lifelong learning in health, the Group of Friends will play a significant role in advocating for investments in healthcare workforce training and promoting the WHO Academy globally. Their ultimate goal is for it to become one of the leading institutions for lifelong learning in health worldwide. For more information about this exciting new initiative, please visit [academy@who
