Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that global health achievements are at risk as progress has slowed, become uneven, and in some cases reversed, according to the World Health Statistics 2026 report.
Between 2010 and 2024, new HIV infections declined by 40%, tobacco and alcohol use decreased, and the number of people needing treatment for neglected tropical diseases fell by 36%. Access to key health services improved from 2015 to 2024, with nearly a billion people gaining access to safely managed drinking water, over a billion to sanitation and basic hygiene, and 1.4 billion to clean cooking solutions. The WHO African Region saw notable reductions in HIV and tuberculosis, while the South-East Asia Region progressed towards malaria reduction goals for 2025.
However, significant challenges remain. Global malaria incidence increased by 8.5% since 2015, and progress is highly uneven between regions. Anaemia affects 30.7% of women of reproductive age with no improvement recorded, and childhood overweight prevalence reached 5.5% in 2024. Violence against women persists, with one in four women experiencing intimate partner violence worldwide. These issues highlight the need for stronger prevention and social protection policies.
Progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) has also slowed; the UHC service coverage index rose only from 68 to 71 between 2015 and 2023. Around one quarter of the global population faced financial hardship due to health costs, and an estimated 1.6 billion people were living in or pushed into poverty by out-of-pocket health expenses.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that despite advances, many people—especially women, children, and underserved communities—still lack access to basic conditions for good health. He underscored the need to invest in equitable, resilient health systems and robust health data to address gaps and ensure accountability.