GENEVA, Switzerland / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has launched Together for Science and Health, a new global movement uniting more than 240 organizations behind a shared commitment to strengthen trust in science. The initiative aims to harness science to improve health and development worldwide. WHO launched the movement on Tuesday, November 10, World Science Day for Peace and Development, with events in Paris and Geneva.
The movement brings together scientists, leaders, policymakers and institutions across sectors. A total of 12 events took place across countries and regions to mark the launch. The initiative is closely linked to the Paris Peace Forum, one of France’s flagship platforms for international diplomacy and multilateral cooperation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and French President Emmanuel Macron led the launch, according to WHO. Organizations can join by endorsing the movement’s Declaration of Commitment.
Tedros described science as one of humanity’s most powerful tools and the engine of better health. Science has helped people live longer, healthier lives through vaccines, medicines, disease prevention and outbreak response, the WHO chief said. Tedros added that WHO and its partners will champion evidence, trust and innovation as the foundations of healthier societies through the new movement. The effort builds on WHO’s 2026 World Health Day theme, Together for health. Stand with science.
Three priorities guide the movement
The movement will focus on three priorities: bringing science and society closer together, strengthening the use of evidence in health policymaking, and improving how science is communicated and discussed. Participating organizations will share effective approaches, resources and lessons. They will also build practical collaborations designed to strengthen trust and ensure scientific progress benefits everyone, WHO said. Members are also expected to contribute their expertise and networks to the shared effort.
Science shapes health every day, from detecting and preventing diseases to developing new medicines and improving care. WHO said many of the greatest health advances happened because communities had confidence in scientific evidence and supported its use. Families and communities have played a key role in that process, WHO added. Public health experts have linked low vaccination rates to outbreaks such as the rise in U.S. measles cases this year, which have more than doubled from 2025.
Dialogue instead of polarization
Sylvie Briand, WHO Chief Scientist and Assistant Director-General a.i. for Health Systems, Access and Data, said no institution, country or community can build and sustain trust alone. Briand said the movement offers a space for dialogue and collaboration, not polarization, and that shaping the future of science is everyone’s responsibility. Science is a shared resource for healthier, fairer and more resilient societies, Briand added. Briand said the movement will bring a wide range of stakeholders together.
WHO noted that rapid technological change and artificial intelligence are transforming how people access, interpret and share health information. The movement will strengthen connections between science and society so people can engage with evidence confidently. Health leaders have also backed country-led use of AI to eliminate diseases. WHO is inviting organizations worldwide to join and contribute their expertise and networks. WHO wants trusted science to translate into better health for everyone.