• The 74th session of World Health Assembly (WHA) has been organised virtually from 24 May to 1 June 2021. 
• WHA is the decision-making body of World Health Organization (WHO).
• Theme of WHA74: Ending this pandemic, preventing the next: building together a healthier, safer and fairer world.
• As the Chairman of WHO Executive Board, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, addressed the Assembly on 24 May. 
• He summarized the highlights of the 147th and 148th sessions of the Executive Board and its Special Session on COVID-19 response that was held on October 5 and 6, 2020.
• The 74th World Health Assembly elected Dechen Wangmo, Bhutan’s Minister of Health, as the President of WHA.
• Apart from this 5 vice president of WHA were also elected which includes Benin, Estonia, Guatemala, Mongolia, Qatar.

About WHA 

• The World Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland. However, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the assembly is taking place virtually this year.
• It is attended by senior health officials from Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• WHA focuses on a specific health agenda, for discussion, prepared by the Executive Board.
• At WHA, work is reviewed, new goals are set, and new tasks assigned.
• Oher functions of the WHA are to determine the policies of WHO, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed program budget.