Publications

World health statistics 2019 summarizes recent trends and levels in life expectancy and causes of death and reports on the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets. It then summarizes the major findings, including the availability of underlying data for monitoring progress towards the health-related SDGs (Section 9), and concludes by briefly discussing the implications for health policy and the planning of programmes. Annex 1 provides regional level statistics, Annex 2 presents country-level statistics for selected health-related SDG indicators and Annex 3 summarizes WHO regional groupings.

In November 2017, 117 national delegations adopted the Moscow Declaration to End TB at the first WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB: A Multisectoral Response. They committed to “supporting the development of a multisectoral accountability framework” to accelerate progress to end TB. They called on WHO to develop the framework, working in close cooperation with relevant partners. At the 71st World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2018, Member States welcomed the WHO draft multisectoral accountability framework (hereafter referred to as the MAF-TB). The WHA also requested the Director-General to continue to develop the MAF-TB, in consultation with Member States, and working in close collaboration with partners, as well as to provide technical support for national adaptation and use of the MAF-TB.

WHO is accountable for reporting back to the World Health Assembly on progress in implementing the Global health sector strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections based on data received from countries. This report assesses the mid-term progress in 2019 in implementing these global health sector strategies from 2016 to 2021. The timeliness and availability of the data across the three diseases is limited, being for 2016 or 2017 in most cases. Key data, including 2018 impact data on incidence and mortality, were not available for this report, making it difficult to assess and validate overall trends since the launch of the strategies in 2016.

With just over a year to go until the UNAIDS 2020 targets, we face a stark reality—there is immense inequality in treatment access among specific populations and in certain locations, despite the considerable accomplishment of delivering life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) to 21.7 million people, globally.  

This report examines the inclusion of HIV-related data and topics in 2018 Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation and civil society parallel reports. The report builds upon “Getting on Track in Agenda 2030”, which assessed HIV inclusion in the 2017 VNRs.

The report proposes a framework of four synergistic elements necessary to advance inclusion, empowerment and equality: rights and justice; norms and institutions; resources and capabilities; participation and voice. The need for action on all four fronts is illustrated by a deeper look at three pivotal challenges confronted by the region – (1) climate change and its potential to deepen inequality; (2) the urgent need to boost domestic resource mobilization; and (3) the need to strengthen social accountability and civic engagement. It draws out policy messages on how an empowerment-and-inclusion approach to policymaking can be fostered, including on addressing violence against women and girls. The report provides strong evidence that promoting empowerment and inclusion are necessary approaches to reduce inequality and accelerate progress towards a broad array of Sustainable Development Goals. It is a contribution to the ongoing national, regional and global dialogues on opportunities to empower people, ensure their inclusion and advance equality.

This report analyses Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) trends as well as data availability for monitoring progress in Asia and the Pacific and its five subregions. It assesses progress towards the SDGs and the gaps which must be closed for these to be achieved by 2030. This assessment is designed to ensure the region’s actions remain on target, shortcomings are addressed as they arise, and all interested parties remain engaged. It is an invaluable resource for all stakeholders involved in prioritisation, planning, implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific.

This report presents an analysis of the recommendations made by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on the issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence. It also reviews the implementation of these recommendations by United Nations Member States. 

WHO preferred product characteristics (PPCs) provide strategic guidance as to WHO’s preferences for new vaccines in priority disease areas. PPCs are intended to encourage innovation and development of vaccines for use in settings most relevant to the global unmet public health need. Development of one or more herpes simplex virus (HSV) vaccines is an important objective for sexual and reproductive health worldwide. HSV vaccine PPCs describe global public health goals for HSV vaccines and preferred parameters pertaining to vaccine indications and target populations, safety and efficacy considerations, research and development, and immunization strategies.  

Violence against women is a major public health problem rooted in gender inequality, and is a gross violation of women’s human rights affecting the lives and health of millions of women and girls. Aiming to end violence against women, a package/framework with infographics on prevention of violence against women - RESPECT – Preventing violence against women: A framework for policymakers, was developed, based on the UN framework for action to prevent violence against women from 2015 and updated new evidence.