India Pharma Outlook Team | Saturday, 29 August 2026
The WHO science council has been renewed with 21 scientists and experts to help guide the future of global health. The World Health Organization announced the new membership.
The renewed WHO Science Council brings together experts from different fields, regions, and generations. Its members include specialists in public health, epidemiology, biomedical research, health systems, ageing, engineering, precision medicine, and emerging technologies.
The Council will advise WHO on scientific developments that could have a major impact on health worldwide. It will also help the organization identify new risks, opportunities, and health trends.
Scientific progress is moving quickly across several areas of healthcare. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, gene editing, synthetic biology, and robotics are changing how health problems can be addressed.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization needs to look ahead as scientific discovery accelerates.
The Council will help WHO assess these developments and understand their potential effects on global health. Its advice will support evidence-based decisions and help translate scientific advances into better health outcomes.
The renewed membership also reflects WHO's focus on:
The Council includes representation from all WHO regions. Two youth members will also bring younger perspectives to discussions about future scientific developments.
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The global health advisory body will remain WHO's principal external advisory group for high-priority scientific issues.
Its work will cover emerging technologies and breakthroughs that could reshape healthcare in the coming decades.
Key areas include:
The Council will also support strategic foresight. This means identifying scientific changes early and assessing how they could affect public health. Its members will serve in their personal capacities and provide independent scientific advice to WHO.
WHO created its Science Division and Science Council through its transformation initiative. The goal was to strengthen its ability to provide timely and evidence-based advice to Member States. The renewed Council comes as health systems face rapid changes in science and technology. Developments in areas such as gene editing and AI could create new opportunities. They could also raise questions around safety, ethics, access, and regulation.
WHO's wider work includes preventing disease, responding to health emergencies, improving healthcare access, and supporting countries worldwide. The organization also highlighted science as a key theme for World Health Day 2026. The campaign theme, “Together for health. Stand with science,” emphasizes science as a foundation for protecting health and well-being.
With the new Council, WHO aims to stay ahead of major scientific developments. It also wants to ensure that new discoveries can support better and more equitable health outcomes worldwide.
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