Even as funding cuts, conflict and climate crises tested health systems around the world, disrupting essential services in many countries, governments and partners still recorded notable progress in disease control, prevention and preparedness.
The UN health agency says the mixed picture of progress and pressure in 2025 underscores both what is possible through evidence-based cooperation and what is at risk if momentum and funding are not maintained..
Victories for disease control
Several countries reached historic milestones in the elimination of infectious diseases.
Maldives became the first country to achieve “triple elimination” of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis Bwhile Brazil eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, making it the most populous country in the Americas to achieve that goal.
Progress was also recorded against neglected tropical diseases. Burundi, Egypt and Fiji eliminated trachoma; Guinea and Kenya eliminated sleeping sickness; and Niger became the first African country to eliminate river blindness. Since 2010, the number of people needing treatment for a neglected tropical disease has fallen by almost a third.
Tuberculosis (TB) deaths continued to declineparticularly in Africa and Europe, which saw declines of more than 45 percent over the past decade. Still, the disease is estimated to have claimed 1.2 million lives in 2024, underscoring the persistent risks linked to HIV, malnutrition and other factors.
Malaria control also advanced. Georgia, Suriname and Timor-Leste were certified malaria-free, while seven other African countries introduced malaria vaccines in 2025. Combined with newer tools, including improved mosquito nets, these efforts helped prevent an estimated 170 million cases and one million deaths in 2024.
A doctor examines a newborn at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Global health cooperation
Beyond advances in specific diseases, 2025 also marked important advances in global health cooperation.
The countries adopted the The world’s first pandemic agreement and strengthened the International Health Regulations (IHR), laying the foundation for faster and fairer responses to future health emergencies.
World leaders endorsed a Landmark political declaration on non-communicable diseases and mental health.. New evidence-based guidance was also published, covering areas ranging from maternal care and meningitis to diabetes during pregnancy and cancer medicines suitable for children.
Healthier lives, uneven progress
The WHO World Health Statistics 2025 report found that 1.4 billion more people live healthier livesdriven by reduced tobacco consumption, cleaner air and improved water and sanitation.
Immunization remained fundamental to these advances. Global vaccination efforts have reduced measles deaths by 88 percent since 2000, saving nearly 59 million lives. In 2025, several countries expanded vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), bringing the world closer to eliminating cervical cancer.
However, challenges remain. Twenty million children did not receive essential vaccines due to conflicts, supply disruptions and misinformation. Maternal and child deaths are also not falling fast enough to meet global goals, underscoring the need for greater investments in primary health care and safe childbirth programs.
Children and adults suffering from cholera receive treatment in an isolation center at a hospital in Khartoum, Sudan.
Financing pressures, crisis response
Funding cuts in 2025 disrupted services including maternal care, vaccination, HIV prevention and disease surveillance, and WHO warns that reduced funding could reverse hard-won gains.
Despite these pressures, WHO supported rapid responses to health emergencies and crises. in 79 countries and territories, including Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, providing emergency medical support and helping to contain outbreaks.
It delivered medicines, helped keep hospitals open, joined vaccination campaigns and ensured people could still access regular health services – “because babies still need to be born, heart attacks need to be prevented, and diabetes needs to be treated, even during an emergency.”
Looking forward
Looking ahead to 2026, WHO points to the adoption of the first Pandemic Agreement and the strengthening of the International Health Regulations as signs of a renewed global commitment to preparedness.
It emphasizes that it continues to be guided by the principle established at its founding in 1948: that the highest possible level of health should be a right for all, not a privilege for a few.
“Together,” The WHO emphasizes: “With science, solutions and solidarity, we can build a healthier, safer and more hopeful future for all.“
A baby is held by his mother and entertained by his grandfather at a community clinic in northern Bangladesh.
