Health
THE World Health Organization (WHO) said its World Health Statistics 2026 report showed uneven progress toward global health targets, warning that setbacks and improvements have left every Sustainable Development Goal off track.
According to the statement on Wednesday, millions benefited during the last decade from improved prevention, treatment, and essential health services, although persistent and emerging challenges continue threatening progress toward the organisation’s 2030 objectives.
“New HIV infections fell 40 per cent between 2010 and 2024,” the report stated, adding that tobacco and alcohol consumption declined while interventions for neglected tropical diseases dropped 36 per cent.
“Between 2015 and 2024, 961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water,” WHO said, while billions more accessed sanitation, basic hygiene services, and cleaner cooking solutions during the period.
It said the WHO African Region achieved faster-than-global reductions in HIV and tuberculosis cases, while the South-East Asia Region remained on course toward its 2025 malaria reduction milestone in spite of uneven progress against malaria.
“Anaemia affects 30.7 per cent of women of reproductive age and has not improved in a decade,” the report said, adding that intimate partner violence affects one in four women globally.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said the findings reflected progress alongside deep inequality, with women, children, and underserved communities continuing without basic conditions necessary for healthy lives and access to care.
Ghebreyesus said the Universal Health Coverage service index increased only slightly between 2015 and 2023, while one quarter of people experienced financial hardship from healthcare costs and out-of-pocket spending during 2022.
“Global maternal mortality has fallen 40 per cent since 2000 but remains nearly three times higher than the 2030 target,” Ghebreyesus said, noting that under-five mortality reductions remained insufficient across countries.
According to Ghebreyesus, COVID-19 contributed to 22.1 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023, reversing gains in life expectancy, while poor mortality reporting continues undermining efforts to strengthen health accountability systems.(NAN)
F.O
Tags: Global Health Risk WHO