Gender and Health Crisis in Focus as WHO Prepares for 78th World Health Assembly

New Delhi, 11 May : As the 78th World Health Assembly approaches in Geneva later this month, a powerful new report by The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health is bringing critical attention to the urgent need for gender justice in global health. Launched during the “SHE & Rights” session, hosted by the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) in collaboration with CNS, IPPF, ARROW, APCAT Media, and WGNRR, the report highlights the devastating consequences of systemic gender inequalities on health outcomes—especially for women and gender-diverse individuals.

The report underscores that historical and structural forces such as capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy continue to perpetuate marginalization and violence. Dr Ravi Verma, Executive Director of the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), Asia, and a commissioner of the report, stated: “The global health sector must go beyond treating illness to confronting the root causes of inequality. Countries that have integrated gender equality into health programs show far-reaching positive results, beyond just addressing disease.”

Personal stories from crisis zones lend urgency to the report’s findings. Parwen Hussaini, a lesbian activist from Afghanistan, narrowly escaped persecution by the Taliban and is currently seeking safety in Iran. Her partner, Maryam, was arrested and remains imprisoned in Afghanistan. “We had no rights, we were criminalized then and we are criminalized now,” said Parwen, whose future remains uncertain due to the threat of deportation.

Similar stories echo from South Sudan, where Rachel Adau, Executive Director of the Women’s Empowerment Centre, reported a spike in gender-based violence, collapsing maternal health services, and widespread displacement due to ongoing conflict. “Women are raped, displaced, and denied basic healthcare,” she warned.

In Lebanon, Bertho Makso from IPPF’s Arab World Regional Office described how LGBTQI+ communities and other marginalized groups are disproportionately suffering due to conflict-related destruction of healthcare infrastructure.

In Kenya, Nelly Munyasia of the Reproductive Health Network condemned the government’s endorsement of the regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration. “We won’t be silenced. We will fight for rights and dignity for all people in Africa,” she asserted.

With growing anti-gender rhetoric globally, the Lancet report describes this moment as “the fight of our lives.” As delegates gather in Geneva, the call from the Global South is clear: true public health cannot exist without gender justice, equity, and human rights for all.