News

As part of its broader engagement during the World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva from May 18 to 23, 2026, the ISN will contribute to two side events on May 20, including an important milestone: the first official WHA side event for which the society was invited to submit a proposal.  

Taking place just days before the first anniversary of the WHO kidney health resolution’s approval, discussions at WHA79 will build on existing momentum and further engage partners towards translating global commitments into action for countries and communities. 

Official WHA79 side event 

The official side event “Gestational Diabetes and Beyond: Strengthening Primary Care for Integrated Reno-Metabolic Health Across the Life Course” will be co-hosted by Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, the International Diabetes Federation, the World Diabetes Foundation, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. 

The session will position gestational diabetes mellitus as a critical entry point for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and associated comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease, in both mothers and children across the life course. 

It will also explore how affordable, scalable models of integrated care can support earlier intervention. A strong emphasis will be placed on task-sharing and practical approaches that can help health workers more effectively manage noncommunicable diseases, including kidney disease. 

Register for the official side event to the WHA79 

Entry is restricted to WHA badge holders only 

ISN-Devex side event 

Earlier the same day, the ISN will host the side event “Kidney Health for All: Delivering Comprehensive Care From Prevention to Treatment“ in partnership with Devex. Speakers will include representatives from the UK Ministry of Health, Kenya’s Ministry of Health, WONCA, Vantive, Novartis, and the ISN.  

The discussion will focus on helping to translate the WHO kidney health resolution into practice by showcasing cost-efficient, innovative kidney care models. It will also examine practical policy levers for integrating kidney care into universal health coverage (UHC) and make the case for kidney health as a useful measure of health system resilience ahead of the 2027 UN High-level Meeting on universal health coverage. 

Register for the ISN-Devex event 

The event is hosted with support from ISN Strategic Partners Vantive, Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim. 

Together, the two events reflect the ISN’s growing role in global health discussions and its commitment to help turn policy momentum into practical action. By contributing to conversations on primary care, kidney disease prevention, integrated care, and UHC, the ISN helps reinforce the urgent need to embed kidney health within the broader global health agenda.