Looking back on 2025, the year presented both remarkable achievements and significant challenges for global health. Despite major funding cuts and increasing threats to science and solidarity, WHO continued to lead global efforts, advocating for evidence-based health policies, pandemic preparedness, and expanded access to life-saving medicines. Governments advanced major initiatives, including the adoption of the world’s first Pandemic Agreement and programs to tackle climate-related health risks, reaffirming WHO’s enduring relevance worldwide.
Vaccination programs saw substantial progress, with 86 million girls vaccinated against HPV, bringing the world closer to eliminating cervical cancer. Immunization efforts have dramatically reduced measles deaths by 88% since 2000, saving nearly 59 million lives, although measles cases surged in 2024. While 89% of infants received at least one dose of DTP, 20 million children missed essential vaccines due to conflict, supply disruptions, and misinformation, highlighting ongoing gaps in global coverage.
2025 also delivered key victories in disease control. Maldives achieved the “triple elimination” of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, while Brazil eliminated mother-to-child HIV transmission. Countries across Africa and the Pacific eliminated diseases such as trachoma, sleeping sickness, and river blindness. Tuberculosis deaths declined significantly in Africa and Europe, although TB still claimed 1.2 million lives in 2024. Malaria control expanded with certifications of malaria-free status in Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste, and the introduction of vaccines in seven African countries, preventing millions of cases and deaths.
Despite these successes, progress in maternal and child health remains uneven. Funding cuts in 2025 disrupted essential services, including maternal care, vaccinations, and HIV prevention, potentially risking millions of lives by 2030. WHO promoted new treatments such as twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV and supported local production of medicines and diagnostics. The organization’s campaigns emphasized investing in maternal and newborn health, highlighting the economic and social returns of high-quality care.
WHO continued advocating for equitable health systems. Since 2000, coverage has expanded, and financial hardship due to health costs has declined from 34% to 26%, yet 1.6 billion people remain vulnerable. The organization highlighted the urgent need for universal health coverage, public investment, and strengthened nursing workforces to address the projected shortfall of 11.1 million health workers by 2030. Initiatives like the UHC Knowledge Hub fostered global collaboration and capacity-building for sustainable health financing.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health were another focus in 2025. Over 75% of non-pandemic deaths are linked to NCDs, and WHO led efforts to implement ambitious targets, including reductions in tobacco use and expanded access to mental health services. Countries made strides in eliminating industrial trans fats, while obesity, tobacco, and other chronic health risks remained pressing challenges. WHO also promoted mental health care as a human right, expanding its QualityRights initiative and supporting emergency response mechanisms for vulnerable populations.
Science, innovation, and digital health continued to shape WHO’s work. The organization provided evidence-based guidance on diseases such as meningitis, diabetes in pregnancy, and child-friendly cancer medicines, and advanced ethical, inclusive clinical research. The WHO Academy expanded access to over 250 online courses in multiple languages, supporting global training in digital health, primary care leadership, and mental health. WHO’s initiatives on traditional medicine established safety and efficacy standards to integrate local knowledge into modern health systems.
Climate change and urban health emerged as key priorities. WHO provided guidance for healthier, sustainable cities, highlighted the health impacts of climate change at COP30, and launched the Belém Health Action Plan. More than half of the global population now lives in urban areas, making cities critical to addressing air pollution, heat, and other climate-related health risks.
A historic achievement in 2025 was the adoption of the first Pandemic Agreement, alongside updates to the International Health Regulations. This landmark accord ensures fair access to vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics, and strengthens global preparedness. WHO’s Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence leveraged AI and early warning systems to monitor over 1.2 million signals, assess 500 threats, and support responses to 450 events worldwide.
WHO’s rapid outbreak response was demonstrated through the containment of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the deployment of over 1.1 million mpox vaccines in Africa, and coordinated responses to cholera, avian influenza, and other emerging diseases. Emergency medical support reached conflict-affected regions including Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine, delivering millions of consultations, essential medicines, and restoring critical health services.
As WHO enters 2026, the organization remains committed to its mission of health as a human right, emphasizing science, solidarity, and innovation. With new agreements, strengthened health systems, and continued advocacy for equitable care, WHO aims to build a healthier, safer, and more hopeful future for all.
