WHO looks back at 2024

WHO looks back at 2024

A year of health highlights, breakthroughs and challenges

© WHO
On 16 September 2024, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was in Chad,where alongside Minister of Health Abdel-Madjid Abderahim, he visited the border town Adré, where Sudanese people are seeking refugee from both conflict and hunger.
© Credits

Each year WHO takes stock of key moments in health and science over the past 12 months.

Here is our review of a very complex 2024. Here’s to a healthier, more peaceful 2025!

Eliminating diseases around the world


A wide range of diseases and conditions can be eliminated, including neglected infectious and vector-borne diseases, sexually transmitted infections, diseases passed from mother to child, diseases preventable by vaccination, and many others. Disease elimination improves socioeconomic conditions and increases quality of life for people and communities. In 2024 WHO Member States achieved several milestones in tackling these major global health challenges.

Seven countries (Brazil, Chad, India, Jordan, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam) eliminated a neglected tropical disease in 2024, including human African trypanosomiasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma.

Egypt became malaria-free after a century-long battle; and Cabo Verde joined the ranks of malaria-free countries.

The Region of the Americas was reverified as measles-free.

Maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated in Guinea.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis have been eliminated in Belize, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Namibia reached a key milestone towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B.

All these achievements represent an enormous amount of hard work over long periods of time. They are great victories, not just for the countries involved, but also for all partners and donors supporting WHO and for global health overall.

Tackling the burden of noncommunicable diseases and mental health


Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory conditions, are the leading cause of death and disability globally. Because they are largely preventable, investments in prevention and control are cost-effective. However, commercial practices such as aggressive marketing, industry lobbying, and in some cases interference in policy-making can inhibit or prevent countries from adopting the cost-effective and preventative measures needed to address NCDs. 

In 2024 WHO released the Global Report on Trends in Prevalence of Tobacco Use 2000–2030, highlighting a decrease in global tobacco users from 1 in 3 in 2000 to 1 in 5 in 2022. However, country surveys consistently show that children aged 13–15 years in most countries are using tobacco and nicotine products. The tobacco industry continues to hinder progress through aggressive marketing and policy interference, underscoring the need for stronger tobacco control measures.

 

NCDs, which cost countries trillions of dollars in lost productivity and health-care expenses, disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. Unless NCDs are urgently addressed, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved. In recognition of the enormous challenges NCDs pose to all countries, the Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases will be convened in 2025. The aim will be to accelerate the global response to the prevention and control of NCDs by strengthening health systems and reorienting them towards primary health care and to meet the SDGs by 2030.

Nearly 1.8 billion adults worldwide are at risk of developing serious diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers as a result of insufficient physical activity, according to new data. Collective efforts based on partnerships between government and nongovernmental stakeholders and increased investments in innovative approaches will be needed to reach the least active people and to reduce inequalities in access to measures that promote and improve physical activity.

WHO's Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders highlighted that there were 2.6 million deaths from alcohol and 0.6 million from drug use in 2019, alongside significant societal impacts of alcohol consumption, including injuries, violence, and increased risks of chronic and infectious diseases. The report sets out the actions urgently needed to reduce substance use and expand treatment through prevention, improved systems of care, and advocacy.

The first-ever global drowning status report was published in 2024, showing a 38% decrease in deaths from drowning worldwide since the year 2000 – a major achievement in global health.

Neurological conditions are now the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide, with more than 1 in 3 people affected by these conditions (such as migraine, stroke and dementia). New data highlight the impact of growing inequality in access to treatment, with more than 80% of neurological deaths and loss of health occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

Hunger remains a serious problem worldwide. A new report, The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2024, contains the latest information on hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. Major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition continue to be conflict, climate variability, and economic slowdowns and downturns.

New data released this year showed an alarming rise in diabetes over the past three decades, which also reflects the increase in obesity. The data show that one in eight people are now living with obesity, and the number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has surpassed 800 million.

The first ever Global Report on the Commercial Determinants of Health will be launched in 2025 to support countries in addressing the commercial practices that act as barriers to action on NCDs.

 

Advocating for action


Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was high on the global agenda this year. World leaders agreed a major declaration to address AMR, one of the most urgent global health threats we face today. A headline commitment is to reduce the global death toll from drug-resistant bacteria by 10% by 2030.

WHO Member States adopted major resolutions at the 2024 World Health Assembly:

  • a resolution underscoring the urgent need for decisive measures to confront the profound health risks posed by climate change;
  • a resolution on social participation highlighting an effort to give people a voice in decisions that affect their health and well-being and to foster trust in health systems; and
  • a resolution  calling on countries to ensure that their economies serve the health of their people through alignment of actions across economic, social and environmental dimensions.

Celebrating a life-saving anniversary


Global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – since the founding of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in 1974. The vast majority of lives saved, 101 million, were those of infants. Today immunization is the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring that babies not only see their first birthdays but also continue leading healthy lives into adulthood. Before EPI was launched 50 years ago, fewer than 5% of infants globally had access to routine immunization. Today 84% of infants are protected with three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP), the global marker for immunization coverage.

New vaccine introductions for a range of diseases will save more lives. In 2024, 17 countries introduced the malaria vaccine, the WHO HPV vaccine single-dose schedule enabled more girls to be protected against cervical cancer, and a new meningitis vaccine offered a powerful shield against the five major strains of the meningococcal bacteria in a single shot.

Strengthening global health security


Member States successfully concluded negotiations on a package of amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), and made concrete commitments to finish negotiations on a global pandemic agreement. The goal of both important initiatives is to ensure that robust systems are in place in all countries to protect the health and safety of all people from the risk of future outbreaks and pandemics.

The new IHR amendments include a definition of a pandemic emergency to trigger more effective international collaboration; a commitment to solidarity and equity on strengthening access to medical products and financing, including the establishment of a Coordinating Financial Mechanism; a States Parties Committee to facilitate the effective implementation of the amended Regulations; and National IHR Authorities to improve coordination of implementation of the Regulations within and among countries.

WHO’s Member States came to a consensus on the need for an instrument, in addition to the IHR, to help the world better fight a pandemic; therefore, they agreed to continue negotiating the proposed Pandemic Agreement by extending the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body until the World Health Assembly in 2025, or earlier, at a special session of the Health Assembly in 2024. There is an urgent need to improve international coordination, collaboration and equity to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics.

WHO responded to numerous health emergencies throughout 2024, from Gaza to Sudan to the mpox public health emergency of international concern.

An overview of ongoing health crises will be published in the coming weeks, as part of the WHO Health Emergency Appeal 2025. 

Transforming the world’s health organization


WHO’s Transformation Agenda, launched in July 2017, is the most ambitious and comprehensive  change agenda in the Organization’s history. The transformation is meant to align all three levels of the Organization to deliver on our strategic goals. Like science itself, WHO must continually evolve and keep pace with the complex and shifting contexts of society. Some 2024 highlights:

Investing in a healthy future for all

WHO ran its first Investment Round in 2024 to ensure predictable, flexible and resilient financing for WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14) from 2025 through 2028. The investment case describes how a stronger, more efficient and results-oriented WHO can support governments and partners in their efforts to improve the health of their populations and to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. The Investment Round has also successfully broadened WHO’s donor base; since its launch in May, there have been 71 new pledges from Member States, and philanthropic and private sector donors, 40 of which are contributing voluntary funds for the first time. This is diversifying WHO’s funding and thus marks a milestone in the Organization’s evolution. Seven of these new donors are low-income countries and 22 are middle-income countries, representing a shift in WHO’s funding base. This shift also demonstrates broad-based recognition of the need to invest in health and in WHO. Numerous examples from across the globe reveal WHO's impact at country level. The effort to put WHO’s finances on a sustainable footing continues in 2025.

WHO Academy in Lyon

The World Health Organization’s Academy campus and online learning platform in Lyon  are part of a lifelong learning ecosystem for health workers, policy-makers and WHO staff, offering opportunities to professionals to tackle current and future health challenges.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, alongside dozens of health ministers, international representatives, donors, and local French partners joined WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for the inauguration of the Academy in December. 

Making WHO reliable, effective and relevant in every country: strengthening work at country level

Since the WHO Country Office Strengthening Action Plan was proposed in 2023, empowering country offices and increasing the impact of protecting people’s health have been priorities of the transformation agenda. They remain central to aligning WHO’s work across the three levels of the Organization to better address public health challenges, respond to emergencies and advance health for all.

In 2024 WHO took significant steps to strengthen the capabilities of country offices, continuing the organizational effort to provide tailored solutions at country level and reaffirming its commitment to achieving meaningful health outcomes where it matters most. “This coming biennium, our new Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14) and the WHO’s first Investment Round for sustainable financing will be guided by one bright North Star – empowering WHO to deliver at the country level,” said Dr Tedros.

Aligning with the GPW14 and the Sustainable Development Goals, this initiative has focused on enhancing operational efficiency, building strong partnerships, and supporting country offices with the resources, tools and expertise to support Member States effectively. By empowering its country offices, WHO aims to ensure that in even the most resource-constrained settings, health systems can be rebuilt or strengthened, local health priorities can be addressed, and people receive the quality health care they need.

Strengthening WHO's work in countries highlights the Organization’s dedication to achieving universal health coverage, accelerating progress towards the SDGs and leaving no one behind.

Battling misinformation and disinformation


As Dr Tedros has said, “We find ourselves in a time where fake news, lies, conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation are rampant.” WHO continues to focus on this great challenge to global health. Inaccurate information about diseases, treatments and vaccines undermines trust in science and public health. It threatens global health by distorting public perception and eroding confidence in evidence-based policies. During emergencies and conflicts, misinformation exacerbates health crises by fostering confusion and fear and diverting resources from a coordinated response. This erosion of public trust is leaving populations vulnerable to preventable diseases and fuelling inequities. Governments, health agencies, and partners need to safeguard public trust by responding to misinformation and disinformation directly and effectively.

WHO’s successes in 2024 are a source of pride we share with all our partners and donors who supported us during the year. WHO thanks all Member States and other contributors, with special appreciation for those who provide fully flexible contributions to maintain a robust, independent WHO. As the year comes to a close, we wish to express our strong and ceaseless gratitude and admiration for health workers and carers everywhere.

 

Published on 23 December 2024