Over 1. 75bn people lived healthier lives by end of 2025, says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says over 1.75 billion people lived healthier lives at the end of 2025.

WHO stated this in its annual Results Report released on Thursday.

This, it said, is a significant gain driven by improvements in tobacco control, air quality, and access to water and sanitation.

“The Results Report 2025 shows that with support from WHO and partners, countries have delivered tangible benefits for millions of people,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus.

“At the same time, these gains cannot be taken for granted.

“Protecting and expanding [these gains] will require sustained support and investment, so that together we can continue advancing the vision set out in WHO’s Constitution: the highest attainable standard of health as a right for all,” Ghebreyesus. said.

The report, released ahead of the World Health Assembly in May finds progress on three fronts: expanding access to essential health services; strengthening protection from health emergencies; and improving overall wellbeing.

Yet roughly half of its output targets went unmet, with financial pressures and internal restructuring taking a toll on delivery – and the world remains off track to meet the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Though WHO failed to reach it’s Triple Billion’ goals, which aimed for one billion more people to benefit in each of the three fronts by the end of 2025 compared with 2018, there was nonetheless substantial progress.

An estimated 567 million additional people were covered by essential health services in 2025, up 136 million from 2024.

Around 698 million more people were better protected from health emergencies, a rise of 61 million on the previous year. And, 1.75 billion additional people were living healthier lives, a jump of 300 million since 2024.

Progress toward universal health coverage was driven by expanded services for communicable diseases including HIV and tuberculosis, improved sanitation and a growing health workforce. Gaps remain, however, in diabetes management, measles surveillance and financial protection.

Gains in emergency preparedness were supported in part by the newly adopted Pandemic Agreement and revised International Health Regulations.

WHO responded to 66 emergencies across 88 countries in 2025, including delivering 33 million medical consultations through health partners in Gaza.

Other areas, including disease detection, emergency response and polio eradication, remain more challenging, reflecting constraints in country capacity, financing and operations.

Meanwhile, WHO also strengthened emergency mental health and psychosocial support systems, increasing country coverage from 28 per cent to 48 per cent.

HPV vaccine coverage climbed from 17 per cent in 2019 to 31 per cent in 2024 through simplified single-dose schedules. A new global air pollution roadmap targets a 50 per cent cut in related deaths by 2040.

However, reduced staffing capacity, limited technical support and slower programme implementation were among the immediate consequences.

A large share of WHO’s budget also remains earmarked for specific thematic areas, limiting strategic flexibility.

The findings will be presented by Ghebreyesus at the 79th World Health Assembly, running from 18 to 23 May 2026 in Geneva.