Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) releases a snapshot of the world’s health. It tracks how countries are doing on major goals like healthcare access, emergency readiness, and overall well-being. It also ties to the UN’s health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This year’s World Health Statistics report is out, and here’s our analysis of it!
The 2025 report paints a mixed picture of global health. There’s undeniable progress, but also persistent gaps that are slowing us down.
Let’s walk through the highlights: the wins, the warnings, and what needs urgent attention.
The Triple Billion Goals: Two steps forward, one step back
Back in 2019, WHO set three ambitious goals for 2025, known as the Triple Billion Targets. They aimed to get a billion more people to
- live healthier lives,
- access affordable healthcare, and
- stay protected from health emergencies.
According to the 2025’s report, here’s where things stand:
One billion more people living healthier lives:
Target surpassed!
As of 2024, about 1.4 billion more people are leading healthier lives, expected to hit 1.5 billion by 2025 (well above the goal).
This win comes from less tobacco use, cleaner air, better household fuels, and improved water/sanitation access.
But it is not all good news. Rising obesity rates (in both adults and kids) are a growing concern that threatens to undo some of these gains.
One billion more with universal health coverage (UHC) without financial hardship:
Falling short.
As of 2024, only 431 million people gained affordable healthcare. The projection for 2025 is 500 million. That’s just half the target.
What’s working: more health workers, better hypertension care, improved access to family planning, and expanded HIV/AIDS treatment.
What’s not: high medical costs, uneven access to diabetes care, and declining routine child immunization (especially DTP3 vaccines).
One billion more protected from health emergencies:
Likely to miss the mark.
By 2024, 637 million more people had better protection, and it is expected to reach 697 million by 2025 (still 30% short).
Key gains include crucial amendments to the International Health Regulations adopted in 2024, faster disease detection, emergency teams, and fairer access to medical supplies.
More work, especially in low-resource settings, is needed to close the gap.
Maternal mortality progress and persistent gaps
In 2023, roughly 2,60,000 women worldwide lost their lives due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
While tragic, this is part of a long-term decline. Maternal mortality has dropped by 40% since 2000, from 328 to 197 deaths per 100,000 live births.
However, progress is slowing. Between 2016 and 2023, the decline was just 10%.
To meet the 2030 SDG target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 births, the world must now achieve a 14.8% annual reduction. A huge number! But this push could save 700,000 lives by 2030.
While all WHO regions have seen improvements, underfunded health systems and uneven access to care leave women vulnerable.
Child health: Newborns now the biggest concern
From 4.2 million newborn deaths in 2000 to 2.3 million in 2023, fewer children are dying globally. Despite this decline, progress is uneven.
The neonatal mortality rate fell by 45%. That’s slower than the 58% drop for children aged 1–59 months, increasing newborns’ share of under-five deaths to 48%.
Today, newborns account for nearly half of all under-five deaths. Unless action picks up, 60 countries could miss the SDG child mortality targets, with 47 of them needing urgent course correction.
Global progress on child malnutrition: Gains and gaps
Global data shows that the number of stunted children (those who are too short for their age due to chronic undernutrition) fell from 180 million in 2012 to 150 million in 2024. That’s a 17% decrease. It’s good, but it’s not fast enough to meet the 2030 goal of 50% reduction.
On the other hand, between 2012 and 2024, childhood overweight cases increased by 3%. And efforts to reduce childhood wasting (kids being dangerously underweight) are also off track.
If these trends don’t reverse, we’ll likely miss the nutrition targets of reducing childhood wasting and overweight rates to below 3% each.
SDG health goals: Only one bright spot
Globally, only one indicator—reduced alcohol consumption—is on track to meet its goal. Despite improvements in some areas, the world is lagging on nearly all health-related SDG targets for 2030. Here’s why:
- Lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic
- Decline in international health funding
- Ongoing geopolitical conflicts
These are straining health systems, hitting the most vulnerable nations and communities the hardest.
What happens next?
As WHO moves into its 14th General Programme of Work (GPW14) in 2025, the Triple Billion framework will evolve with updated indicators that better reflect current global health challenges.
Two key health coverage indicators (SDG 3.8.1 and 3.8.2) are also being refined to more accurately track service access and financial protection.
But the message is clear: protect the progress made, and double down where we’re falling behind.
The report emphasises the importance of working together, globally, regionally, and locally, to speed up progress and turn back negative trends.
Final takeaway
We’ve made real progress in global health over the past two decades, but it’s not enough.
The 2025 WHO report is a reminder that while we celebrate the wins, we also need to confront the gaps with urgency and equity.
Health for all mustn’t be just a slogan. It must be a call for action that nations across the globe strive for.
-By Alkama Sohail and the AHT Team
