WHO warns global health gains are stalling as progress on maternal and child mortality, HIV, and neglected tropical diseases reverses

The World Health Organization warned May 15, 2025, that global health progress is stalling and reversing in key areas such as maternal and child mortality, HIV, and neglected tropical diseases. According to WHO officials, setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, including a historic 1.8-year drop in life expectancy, along with slower improvements predating the pandemic, threaten achievement of health-related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The World Health Organization’s World Health Statistics 2025 report, released May 15, 2025, highlights a significant slowdown and reversal in global health progress after gains made prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to WHO officials, these setbacks, combined with longer-term trends of slowing improvement that began before the pandemic, threaten the achievement of health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The report states that global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years between 2019 and 2021, marking the largest decline in recent history, and that increased anxiety and depression linked to the pandemic reduced healthy life expectancy worldwide by six weeks.

Maternal mortality remains a critical concern, with the global maternal mortality ratio recorded at 197 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, nearly three times higher than the SDG target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. WHO-associated reporting from 2026 indicates that the annual rate of reduction in maternal deaths has slowed to 1.6% since 2015, far below the pace needed to meet global targets. Officials noted that approximately 712 women continue to die each day from maternal causes, equating to about one death every two minutes.

Child health and vaccination efforts have also stagnated, according to the WHO report. Maternal and child deaths are not declining rapidly enough to meet global targets, with routine childhood immunization coverage largely flatlining worldwide. The report warns that vaccination levels remain below those required to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and several regions have experienced resurgent outbreaks of diseases that vaccination programs should have controlled.

Progress against HIV shows mixed results. WHO’s 2026 social media update highlighted a 40% reduction in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2024. The 2025 statistics report confirms that HIV incidence rates are declining, though the pace of progress remains uneven across regions. WHO officials emphasized that while gains have been made, sustained financing and health system support are necessary to maintain and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage and disease reduction.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent one of the clearer areas of improvement, with the number of people requiring interventions declining by 36% between 2010 and 2024, according to WHO data. The 2025 report states that 1.4 billion more people were living healthier lives by the end of 2024 due to reduced NTD burdens. However, WHO-linked sources caution that despite these gains, the overall burden remains substantial, and control efforts are undermined by persistent gaps in health systems and funding.

Malaria and antimicrobial resistance present ongoing challenges. The WHO report notes a resurgence of malaria cases since 2015 and identifies antimicrobial resistance as a continuing public health threat. These trends contribute to the broader warning that progress on infectious diseases has slowed, stalled, or reversed across nearly every measure since 2015. WHO officials described the global health landscape as one in which gains in HIV and NTDs coexist with worsening or stagnant outcomes in other major disease areas.

Structural and financial barriers remain significant obstacles to achieving SDG health targets. WHO sources report that progress is uneven across regions and populations, with low- and middle-income countries, especially fragile and conflict-affected settings, bearing the heaviest burden. Reports linked to WHO indicate that efforts to expand universal health coverage, improve maternal and child health, and reduce premature noncommunicable disease mortality are insufficient. A peer-reviewed summary published in PMC notes that official development assistance for health has stalled and health systems remain weak, emphasizing that stronger health systems, increased financing, and universal health coverage are essential to meeting global health goals.

WHO also warns that many countries are falling behind on addressing foundational health risks, including malnutrition, air pollution, and unsafe living conditions. These factors compound the challenges facing global health progress and underscore the need for renewed and coordinated international efforts.