WHO says billions saw health gains in 2025 despite funding cuts

GENEVA: Despite significant funding cuts, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was able to support significant national health gains for hundreds of millions of people in 2025, according to its annual Results Report released on Thursday.

"The Results Report 2025 shows that with support from WHO and partners, countries have delivered tangible benefits for millions of people," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "At the same time, these gains cannot be taken for granted."

Expanding access

The report, released ahead of the World Health Assembly next month, finds progress on three fronts: expanding access to essential health services; strengthening protection from health emergencies; and improving overall wellbeing.

Yet roughly half of its output targets went unmet, with financial pressures and internal restructuring taking a toll on delivery – and the world remains off track to meet the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Though WHO failed to reach it’s 'Triple Billion' goals, which aimed for one billion more people to benefit in each of the three fronts by the end of 2025 compared with 2018, there was nonetheless substantial progress.

An estimated 567 million additional people were covered by essential health services in 2025, up 136 million from 2024.

Around 698 million more people were better protected from health emergencies, a rise of 61 million on the previous year.

And, 1.75 billion additional people were living healthier lives, a jump of 300 million since 2024.

Universal health coverage

Progress toward universal health coverage was driven by expanded services for communicable diseases including HIV and tuberculosis, improved sanitation and a growing health workforce.

Gaps remain, however, in diabetes management, measles surveillance and financial protection.