Global health achievements 2023: Reasons for hope

The 75th anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO) was observed in 2023. It was a year to reflect on 75 years of global health achievements while facing the multiple and complex challenges affecting our health today. This milestone anniversary served as a powerful reminder of how working together in global solidarity has enabled us to rise to complex challenges in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

Working together for health for all:

Despite multiple health-related crises, there were many reasons for hope in 2023. Although faced with record numbers of climate-related health challenges and crises from new and expanding conflicts, millions of health and care workers continued striving to protect more people from illness and suffering, to build resilience and preparedness in an increasingly turbulent world, and to achieve a common goal: to give everyone everywhere the best possible chance at a safe and healthy life.

Eliminating diseases:

The year 2023 was a record year for disease elimination, with several countries eliminating infectious diseases thanks to dedicated national efforts and collaborative action by countries and health partners worldwide.

In March, WHO certified Azerbaijan and Tajikistan malaria-free, followed by Belize in June. Malaria affects some of the world's most vulnerable people, and these extraordinary achievements demonstrate how a malaria-free future can become a reality.

Egypt became the first country in the world to achieve "gold tier" status on the path to eliminating hepatitis C, an important milestone towards the goal of achieving full elimination of the disease before 2030. This is an astonishing turnaround for a country that had one of the world's highest rates of hepatitis C infection less than 10 years ago.

As of today, 50 countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease (NTD), in line with the WHO's ambitious target of having 100 countries achieve this milestone by 2030.

Ghana eliminated gambiense human African trypanosomiasis, a life-threatening sleeping sickness transmitted by tsetse flies, in January. This disease causes significant harm to rural populations living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

In May, Benin and Mali eliminated trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. They were the fifth and sixth countries in Africa to achieve this significant milestone, joined by Iraq from the Eastern Mediterranean region in July.

Bangladesh and the Lao People's Democratic Republic have successfully eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health concern. Mosquitoes transmit lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, a debilitating parasitic disease.

Bangladesh made history as the first country to eliminate two NTDs in the same year. Bangladesh also made history as the first country in the world to officially eliminate kala-azar, a life-threatening disease transmitted by sandflies. If left untreated, kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis), a life-threatening disease transmitted by sandflies, can prove fatal in over 95% of cases.

Source: World Health Organisation