The World Health Organization (WHO) says its Executive Board has directed the agency to convene discussions on reforming the global health architecture.
Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus disclosed this on Wednesday during an online media conference on global health issues.
He said it is vital for all global health bodies to work together, leveraging their comparative advantages, avoiding overlaps and duplication, and delivering value and results for countries and people.
According to him, the board also considered proposals for reforming WHO governance and noted notifications of withdrawal from WHO by Argentina and the United States of America, which the World Health Assembly will consider at its meeting in May.
Tedros said that in 2013, WHO and partners established a stockpile of cholera vaccines for two purposes: reactive vaccination campaigns during outbreaks and preventive campaigns in at-risk areas to stop outbreaks before they occur.
“Since 2021, the world has experienced a significant increase in cholera outbreaks, cases, and deaths.
“In 2025 alone, more than 600,000 cases and 7,600 deaths were reported from 33 countries.
“This surge placed heavy demand on the stockpile, forcing the suspension of preventive campaigns to ensure enough vaccines for reactive use,” he said.
Thanks to sustained efforts by manufacturers and partners, the annual global supply of oral cholera vaccine has doubled—from 35 million doses in 2022 to nearly 70 million doses in 2025.
“Due to this increase, we have now resumed preventive vaccination campaigns against cholera after more than three years.
“This is important because cholera is highly contagious and can spread rapidly in areas with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.
“The resumption of preventive campaigns will help protect vulnerable populations and reduce the risk of outbreaks,” Tedros said.
He added that the increased supply resulted from collaboration between manufacturers, WHO, and other partners.
“The goal is to continue increasing the global supply of cholera vaccines to meet growing demand and prevent future outbreaks,” he said.
On cataracts, Tedros said it is the most common cause of blindness globally and a leading cause of vision impairment, affecting more than 94 million people.
In addition to impaired vision and blindness, cataracts can contribute to reduced mobility, unemployment, social isolation, depression, and anxiety.
“Cataract is a major public health problem with a simple, cost-effective solution: a 15-minute procedure that provides immediate and lasting restoration of sight.
“Cataract surgery is life-transforming, giving the gift of sight to people who had lost it and reopening a world that had closed,” he said.
In 2021, the World Health Assembly adopted a global target to increase access to effective cataract surgery by 30 percentage points by 2030.
Tedros said many countries have made impressive progress, including Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal, and Qatar.
“However, globally, half of all people who need cataract surgery still lack access, according to new research involving WHO published today in The Lancet Global Health.
“In Africa, three in four people with cataracts lack access, and in all regions, women are disproportionately affected,” he said.
The research estimates that coverage will increase by only 8.4 percentage points by 2030—less than one-third of the pace needed to meet the target.
He urged governments, partners, and donors to invest in this cost-effective, life-changing intervention to prevent blindness and restore sight.
“The new research published on Wednesday was led by the International Centre for Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which is in the process of becoming a WHO Collaborating Centre.
“It is an example of the valuable contribution that WHO’s network of over 800 collaborating centres can make to research and global health,” he said.
