Health Gains in 2025 Despite Wars and Funding Strains

A child peeps from under a mosquito net. Treated beds nets have saved millions of lives from malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

From eliminating deadly infections to expanding access to lifesaving vaccines, 2025 delivered meaningful progress for global health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), offering cautious optimism at the close of a year marked by both breakthroughs and strain.

Even as funding cuts, conflict, and climate shocks placed heavy pressure on health systems worldwide—disrupting essential services in many countries—governments and partners still recorded notable gains in disease control, prevention, and preparedness.

WHO said the mixed picture of progress and pressure in 2025 underscored both what is possible through evidence-based cooperation and what is at risk if momentum and financing are not sustained.

Victories in disease control

Several countries reached historic milestones in eliminating infectious diseases.

The Maldives became the first country to achieve “triple elimination” of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, while Brazil eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, becoming the most populous country in the Americas to reach 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 neglected tropical diseases has fallen by nearly one-third.

Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) continued to decline, particularly in Africa and Europe, which recorded reductions of more than 45 per cent over the past decade. Still, TB claimed an estimated 1.2 million lives in 2024, highlighting persistent risks linked to HIV, undernutrition, and other factors.

Malaria control also advanced. Georgia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste were certified malaria-free, while seven additional African countries introduced malaria vaccines in 2025. Alongside improved mosquito nets and other tools, these efforts helped prevent an estimated 170 million cases and one million deaths in 2024.

Global health cooperation

Beyond disease-specific gains, 2025 also marked important advances in global health cooperation.

Countries adopted 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 also endorsed a historic political declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health. New evidence-based guidance was issued on areas ranging from maternal care and meningitis to diabetes in pregnancy and child-friendly cancer medicines.

Healthier lives, uneven progress

WHO’s World Health Statistics 2025 report found that 1.4 billion more people are living healthier lives, driven by reduced tobacco use, cleaner air, and improved water and sanitation.

Immunisation remained central to these gains. Global vaccination efforts have cut measles deaths by 88 per cent 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 persist. Around 20 million children missed essential vaccines due to conflict, supply disruptions, and misinformation. Maternal and child deaths are also not declining fast enough to meet global targets, underscoring the need for greater investment in primary healthcare and safe childbirth programmes.

Funding pressures and crisis response

Funding cuts in 2025 disrupted services including maternal care, vaccination, HIV prevention, and disease surveillance, with WHO warning that reduced financing could reverse hard-won gains.

Despite these pressures, WHO supported rapid responses to health emergencies across 79 countries and territories, including Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. It delivered medicines, helped keep hospitals open, supported vaccination campaigns, and ensured access to essential health services.

Looking ahead

As it looks to 2026, WHO highlighted the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement and strengthened International Health Regulations as signs of renewed global commitment to preparedness.

The organisation reaffirmed the principle set out at its founding in 1948: that the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental right for everyone, not a privilege for a few.