More effective action across sectors is needed to achieve better health outcomes from exposure to hazardous chemicals and from air, water, and soil pollution.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the already slow progress in education—one of the key determinants of health—as four out of every five countries reported learning losses.

Equally concerning is the limited progress in other Sustainable Development Goals that underpin key health determinants, including poverty and social protection, decent work, infrastructure, inequalities and migration, climate change, and peace, justice, and strong institutions.

Despite the tragedies and disruptions caused by COVID-19, its enormous impact on people’s lives, health systems, health workers, and the increasingly challenging health environment, new lessons, commitments, capacities, and partnerships have emerged at national, regional, and international levels. These can lay the foundation for fundamentally stronger coordination and collective action across the health ecosystem for greater impact at community and country level.

Box 2 – GPW 13: Progress toward the Triple Billion Targets
GPW13 was based on the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and provided a roadmap for healthier lives and well-being for all by 2025. Its conceptual framework was the Triple Billion targets:

a) 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being.
b) 1 billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage.
c) 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies.

Since 2018, progress has been made toward each target, but gaps and challenges remain.

Healthier Populations – Billion:
In 2023, an estimated 1.26 billion more people enjoyed better health and well-being compared to 2018. However, this progress is insufficient to reach the 2030 SDGs. Tobacco use remains high, adult obesity continues to rise, and air pollution remains unresolved in many regions. Accelerating progress requires more focus on tobacco, air pollution, road injuries, physical activity, and obesity.

Universal Health Coverage – Billion:
By 2023, only 477 million additional people had access to essential health services without financial hardship. The world is not on track for the 2030 SDGs. The pandemic disrupted progress across many indicators. Gains were mainly due to increased HIV services. However, vaccination coverage and treatment for malaria, tuberculosis, noncommunicable diseases, and others lag behind. Increased financing for primary health care and better integration of services are essential.

Health Emergencies Protection – Billion:
By 2023, an estimated 690 million more people were better protected compared to 2018, supported by improvements in preparedness.

Resolving pandemic-related immunization disruptions is critical. The pandemic exposed the need for better metrics for this target, and improvements are underway, including integrating assessments of real outbreaks with time-bound targets for detection, reporting, and response.

Despite uneven progress over the past six years, key global and national achievements were recorded:
133 Member States introduced or increased taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, or other unhealthy products.
Protection from industrial trans fats increased sixfold to 3.7 billion people.
New medicines (e.g., for tuberculosis) and vaccines (e.g., malaria and COVID-19) were introduced, and mRNA technology-transfer hubs established.

In 2022 alone, WHO and partners responded to 70 graded health emergencies. The Pandemic Fund was launched, as well as new initiatives such as the Global Health and Preparedness Review, WHO Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Hub, and the Global Health Emergency Corps.

Further details are available in GPW13 results reports. GPW14 continues the SDGs, recalibrates the Triple Billion targets, and builds on GPW13 to reflect emerging national and global priorities.

Promise and Potential of a Transforming Global Health Ecosystem

The global health ecosystem is rapidly transforming in ways that can drive health equity and build more resilient health systems during 2025–2028.

Even before COVID-19, major shifts in health attitudes were emerging, especially among younger generations who increasingly prioritize health and adopt more holistic views of well-being.

Following the pandemic, people everywhere have gained renewed understanding of healthy behaviors and resilient health systems, and now place greater value on well-being.

The stark inequalities in access to care and COVID-19 response measures—both within and between countries—created global awareness of the need to address this barrier to universal health coverage and pandemic preparedness. This led to strong civic engagement and increased political attention.

Equity is now at the center of international health negotiations—from WHO governing body discussions on UHC and health security, to UN General Assembly political declarations on UHC and pandemic preparedness and response.

The pandemic also reinforced the importance of strong national health leadership, self-determined health priorities, and greater self-reliance in key areas.