WHA Global Action Plan on Rare Diseases

The WHA Resolution on Rare Diseases, Resolution “Rare Diseases: a Global Health Priority for Equity and Inclusion”, adopted unanimously in May 2025, calls on the WHA to develop a 10-year Global Action Plan on Rare Diseases (GAPRD). A Global Action Plan is a strategic, coordinated framework for addressing global health challenges through collaborative efforts among countries, NGOs and other stakeholders. It sets global targets and goals, outlines the responsibilities of WHO, Member States and partners, and includes indicators and benchmarks for tracking progress.

As a first step in the development of the GAPRD, the WHO published a discussion paper on 3 November, 2026. The WHO will be accepting feedback on the discussion paper until 4 December, 2026.

what is a discussion paper?

A discussion paper is an official, provisional document published by the WHO to:

It will allow the WHO secretariat (staff) to share its thinking on the upcoming GAPRD with the rare disease community and collect their feedback.

How can I share my feedback on the Discussion Paper?

It is important for the global community of PLWRD and their families to respond to the consultation with a strong collective voice. To support meaningful and structured input, on 10 November, RDI will publish a short online survey with targeted guiding questions. These questions will help members of our community reflect on the relevance, feasibility and implementation of the proposed measures, identify gaps, and suggest improvements. They will also guide discussions led by the RDI Regional Task Forces over the next month.

RDI will gather the community’s feedback and prepare a set of recommendations for the WHO. These recommendations will be shared in a webinar to gather final input. Then RDI will share this consolidated feedback with the WHO.