Global Health Setbacks Revealed in WHO’s 2025 Report: Life Expectancy Falls Sharply

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its World Health Statistics 2025 report, offering a sobering look at the profound and continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global health. The report exposes alarming regressions in life expectancy, highlights widening health inequities, and warns that the world is dangerously off track in achieving critical health goals unless immediate, coordinated action is taken.

Historic Decline in Life Expectancy

In an unprecedented reversal of global health trends, life expectancy worldwide fell by 1.8 years between 2019 and 2021, representing the largest two-year decline in recent history. This drop effectively erased a decade’s worth of gains in longevity. The loss was not limited to lifespan alone—healthy life expectancy (HALE), which measures quality as well as quantity of life, also fell by approximately six weeks. This was largely attributed to surging mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, exacerbated by the pandemic's isolation, fear, and economic fallout.

Unmet Global Health Targets and Pandemic Impact

The WHO report tracks progress on its Triple Billion targets, part of its broader goal to ensure better health and well-being globally. While 1.4 billion more people were reported to be living healthier lives by the end of 2024, exceeding one of the key milestones, this was the only bright spot in an otherwise concerning outlook.

The improvements were largely credited to:

• Decreases in tobacco consumption

• Cleaner air

• Expanded access to water, hygiene, and sanitation services

However, two critical areas—essential health services and protection from health emergencies—lagged significantly. Only:

• 431 million more people gained access to essential health services without financial burden

• 637 million people received enhanced protection from health emergencies

These figures fall far short of the WHO’s targets, highlighting systemic weaknesses in global health infrastructure.

Maternal and Child Mortality: Gains Stalling

Maternal and child mortality, once a beacon of health progress, is now stagnating. The report shows:

• Maternal deaths fell over 40% between 2000 and 2023

• Deaths of children under five dropped by more than half in the same period

But this momentum has slowed dramatically, with millions of lives now at risk. The reasons include:

• Chronic underinvestment in primary health care

• Persistent shortages of trained health workers

• Gaps in immunization coverage

• Lack of access to safe childbirth services

If urgent steps are not taken, the world could fail to prevent 700,000 additional maternal deaths and 8 million under-five deaths between 2024 and 2030.

Alarming Rise in Chronic Diseases and Workforce Shortages

The report draws attention to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes—which are now the leading cause of premature death in people under 70. Key observations include:

• The world is off track to meet the 2030 target of reducing NCD deaths by one-third

• Alcohol consumption globally declined from 5.7 liters per capita in 2010 to 5.0 liters in 2022

• Tobacco use continues to decline steadily

• Air pollution remains among the top preventable causes of death

Mental health remains a major global concern, with stress-related illnesses eroding quality of life and holding back economic and social progress.

One of the most pressing systemic challenges is the projected shortfall of 11.1 million health workers by 2030. About 70% of this gap is expected in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where healthcare needs are already most acute.

Infectious Diseases: Mixed Progress

While the global burden of HIV and tuberculosis has continued to decrease, progress is mixed across infectious disease indicators:

• Malaria has shown a troubling resurgence since 2015

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a major threat, making once-treatable infections potentially deadly

• Vaccination coverage, especially for key vaccines like the DTP3 (diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus), has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels

Meanwhile, foundational health risks such as malnutrition, unsafe housing, and air pollution remain widespread, undermining resilience and health outcomes, especially in vulnerable communities.

Financial Gaps and Data Infrastructure Challenges

The WHO also flagged that recent disruptions in international aid pose a critical risk to maintaining and building on past health gains. Many countries most dependent on external health funding are now at risk of destabilization in their health systems.

To counter this, the WHO is expanding its support to countries through:

• The SCORE strategy to enhance health information systems

• The World Health Data Hub, which aims to standardize and utilize data more effectively

Call to Action from WHO Leadership

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, made an emotional appeal:

“Behind every data point is a person—a child who didn’t reach their fifth birthday, a mother lost in childbirth, a life cut short by a preventable disease. These are avoidable tragedies… Every government has a responsibility to act, with urgency, commitment, and accountability to the people they serve.”

Dr. Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General for Data and Analytics, underscored the importance of timely data and decisive action:

“This report shows that the world is failing its health checkup. But countries have shown that rapid progress is possible… With speed, scale, and smart investments, every country can deliver measurable gains.”

The World Health Statistics 2025 report is a stark reminder of both the fragility and resilience of global health systems. While some gains have been preserved, too many lives continue to be lost to preventable causes, and progress is uneven and slowing. WHO’s message is clear: the world must act—now—to reverse the setbacks, strengthen health systems, and build a more equitable and resilient global health future.