A Global Agenda for 2025–2028: Promoting, Delivering, and Protecting Health «Part Nine»

Reducing Child Mortality
Efforts to reduce child mortality will focus on the “Healthy Child” approach, integrated management of childhood illnesses, and the identification and prevention of congenital anomalies.

Adolescents
Efforts to accelerate actions for adolescent health and well-being will continue through the development of adolescent health programs, as well as strengthening the capacity of health and social systems to respond to the vulnerabilities and specific developmental needs of adolescents. This includes leveraging digital solutions for adolescent-responsive primary care, establishing preventive care models such as adolescent health visits, and investing in best practices, including school health and school health services.

Older Adults
Integrated health and social care will be promoted to ensure continuity of care and enable aging in place. Research will advance across all these areas.

Immunization
Emphasis will be placed on full implementation of the 2030 Immunization Agenda, particularly by reaching children who have missed essential routine immunization services or zero-dose vaccines, including through “catch-up” programs following the COVID-19 pandemic (up to 2025). Expansion of key vaccines such as the human papillomavirus vaccine; introduction of priority new vaccines, such as malaria vaccines and potentially sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, and dengue vaccines, based on robust evidence; prioritization and optimization of vaccine portfolios according to age group and product based on country context; and intensified preventive vaccination campaigns to advance polio eradication and reduce the risk of deadly vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles.

Outcome 4.3: Improved Financial Protection by Reducing Financial Barriers and Out-of-Pocket Payments, Especially for the Most Vulnerable
Capacities will be strengthened or established to collect, track, and analyze disaggregated data on out-of-pocket payments, financial hardship, foregone care, and financial barriers to identify inequities (particularly by age and gender), inform national decision-making, and monitor progress.

Priority will be given to removing out-of-pocket payments for vulnerable and marginalized populations, including those living with rare diseases, and implementing broader reforms and policies that address both financial barriers and financial hardship associated with accessing health services.

The key principles outlined in SDG Target 1.3 on establishing social protection systems for all will also guide policy options for access to quality health services without financial pressure, through risk pooling and solidarity in financing to ensure that out-of-pocket payments are not the main source of health system funding.

Prevention, Mitigation, and Preparedness for Emergencies
This strategic objective addresses growing threats to health and well-being that all countries face due to rapid global changes, including demographic shifts, epidemiological transitions, and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.

These changes increase the frequency of both natural disasters and infectious disease risks and underscore the need for national and global actions to reduce hazards, including through a One Health approach, and to strengthen preparedness and resilience, particularly in the context of widespread vulnerabilities in communities and health and food systems.

Emphasis on prevention and resilience is the most efficient approach for health emergencies, as it also addresses significant risks such as antimicrobial resistance, emerging zoonoses and foodborne diseases, as well as the growing crises of food security and nutrition exacerbated by climate change and conflicts.

This objective identifies communities as primary responders, often at the frontline of climate-related and other threats, and seeks to ensure they are informed, equipped, and empowered to protect themselves, their families, and livelihoods.

Given rapid technological advances, this objective also addresses the ethical and responsible use of biotechnology and promotes international biosafety and biosecurity standards to prevent misuse of biological agents for harmful purposes.

At the same time, it leverages scientific and technological advances to introduce new tools for health protection and emphasizes national and global commitments to strengthen risk reduction and preparedness capacities.