WHO Results Report 2023 shows notable health achievements and calls for concerted drive toward Sustainable Development Goals

Ireland is becoming a global leader in the field of innovation in harnessing digital technologies as a tool to address various barriers for access to care. In alignment with WHO, Ireland recognizes the importance of mobilizing assistive technology to help the 2.5 billion people in need globally, including older persons, people with disabilities, and those living with health conditions. This includes ensuring equitable access to assistive products such as glasses, hearing aids, walking aids, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and communication and memory devices. In March 2024, Anne Rabbitte, T.D., Ireland’s Minister of State with special responsibility for disabilities at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, agreed to a €12.5 million donor agreement between the Government of Ireland and WHO, aimed at accelerating affordability and availability of assistive technology for those in need. The cooperation has been building throughout the years. Back in 2022, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD, launched the Global report on assistive technology, along with the Director-General of WHO and the Executive Director of UNICEF. The Taoiseach highlighted the importance of international cooperation to ensure more equitable access to assistive technology, in order to achieve a society where everyone is included and enabled to live their best life. Minister Rabbitte stated that: “Ireland has identified the serious need to invest in public health systems alongside the WHO. The present risk of rising health needs coupled with a decreasing pool of health and social care professionals globally reveals an urgent need for all of us to act now. Ireland’s contribution aligns with the recommendations of the Global Report on Assistive Technology and supports a five-year initiative towards achieving national health system models that include assistive technology. The programme will explore and demonstrate how digital technology can facilitate people-centred services, assistive technology policy, improve the affordability and appropriateness of assistive products, enable effective provision systems, and boost the capacity of health personnel to identify, screen, refer and provide assistive technology for all those in need.” ^{Health personnel in Tanzania participating in on-line training on assistive products, as part of an overall program aimed at provision of simple assistive products through community and primary health care facilities - making products such as walking aids and reading glasses more readily available for people within their local area. Digital technology was instrumental in facilitating efficient learning through the platform, and enabling support for health workers from their mentors through communication apps after the training. Credit: WHO/Kylie Shae} With an ageing global population and a rise in noncommunicable diseases, an estimated 3.5 billion people will need assistive technology by 2050. Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General, Access to Medicines and Health Products, welcomes this important contribution from Ireland and their leadership in the digital initiative. She said: “The 2018 World Health Assembly resolution on assistive technology calls upon WHO to take the necessary steps to promote equitable access to assistive technology in our endeavour to build a more inclusive world. Our partnership with the Government of Ireland will support WHO in achieving our mission to ensure health for all, everywhere, with assistive technologies as an important enabler of well-being, inclusion, and participation.” Through Ireland’s contribution, and in collaboration with its broad network of partners, WHO will develop evidence-based guidance for Member States on strengthening access to assistive technology through understanding, prioritising and stimulating increased innovation and use of digital solutions. The work will also involve national, regional, and global projects that test digital solutions designed to address persistent access barriers such as: digital platforms that empower users with information about assistive technology and how to access it; digital tracking of products to manage supply; and online training and support for health workers. The results and lessons learned will help countries expand their knowledge, skills, and capacities in the provision of assistive technology as an integral component of Universal Health Care. ‘Leaving no one behind’ means ensuring that people with disabilities, the older population, those affected by chronic diseases and everyone who needs assistive technology are included in society and able to live healthy and dignified lives. * * * * Click below to find out what is assistive technology, who needs it, and how it improves lives Assistive technology is an umbrella term for external products used by individuals to help maintain or improve their bodily functions. Common examples are wheelchairs, glasses, prosthetic limbs, white canes, and hearing aids as well as digital solutions such as speech recognition or time management software. Assistive technology helps people in all aspects of their lives, including in education, employment, fitness, leisure and other everyday activities such as self-care, cooking and reading. Most people will need assistive technology at some point in their lives, especially as they age. While some may require assistive technology temporarily, such as after an accident or illness, others may require it for a longer period or throughout their lifespan. It is commonly needed by older people, children and adults with disabilities, people who have been injured or who have a health condition such as diabetes, stroke and dementia. Equitable access is key Improving access to assistive technology enables the inclusion and participation of users in their family, community and all areas of society, including the political, economic and social spheres. Assistive technology positively impacts a person, their family and friends, and has broader socioeconomic benefits. For example: early provision of hearing aids for young children supports their development of language and communication skills, limiting negative impacts on their education, future employment and community participation; provision of appropriate wheelchairs facilitates mobility, improving individuals’ access to education and employment while reducing healthcare costs due to a reduction in secondary complications such as pressure sores and contractures; therapeutic footwear for diabetes reduces the incidence of foot ulcers, preventing amputations and the associated impact on individuals and burden on health-care systems; and timely provision of assistive technology for older people can improve their independence and safety as well as enable them to live at home for as long as possible. Show less Show more

The list provides guidance on the development of new and necessary treatments to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

A new vaccine for dengue received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) on 10 May 2024. TAK-003 is the second dengue vaccine to be prequalified by WHO. Developed by Takeda, it is a live-attenuated vaccine containing weakened versions of the four serotypes of the virus that cause dengue.

Governments of the world today agreed to continue working on a proposed pandemic agreement, and to further refine the draft, ahead of the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly that starts 27 May 2024. Governments meeting at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva agreed to resume hybrid and in-person discussions over coming weeks to advance work on critical issues, including around a proposed new global system for pathogen access and benefits sharing (i.e. life-saving vaccines, treatments and diagnostics); pandemic prevention and One Health; and the financial coordination needed to scale up countries’ capacities to prepare for and respond to pandemics. "During more than two years of intensive negotiations, WHO’s Member States have shown unwavering commitment to forging a generational agreement to protect the world from a repeat of the horrors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I welcome the determination that all countries have shown to continue their work and fulfill the mission on which they embarked.” The Member State-led Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was established over two years ago to take this effort forward. The Bureau of the INB, which is guiding the process, will submit its outcome for consideration at the World Health Assembly. INB Bureau Co-Chair Dr Precious Matsoso, from South Africa, said progress had been made during this latest round of discussions on a wide range of issues contained in the draft agreement. “We are witnessing history play out before our eyes during this process, with the coming together of all countries to decide a binding pact to protect all citizens of the world,” said Ms Matsoso. “This is not a simple exercise. This is the first ever process to develop a proposed agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Getting this done means getting it right, and the INB Bureau is committed to help finalize a meaningful, lasting agreement.” Fellow INB Bureau Co-Chair, Mr Roland Driece, from the Netherlands, said when countries launched the process two years ago to develop a pandemic agreement, they did so knowing they had set an ambitious timeline to reach an ambitious goal. “This unprecedented effort by all WHO Member States was launched in response to an unprecedented global emergency – the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mr Driece. “These sovereign states did so recognizing that great collaboration and coordination were needed in the face of pandemics. While negotiations have been challenging at times, all countries agree that the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic. It is not a matter of if a pandemic will happen again; it is a matter of when. We cannot afford to miss this historic opportunity to make the world safer from the next pandemic threat.” In March 2021, heads of state and government from two dozen countries issued a statement of commitment calling for global collaboration to prepare for, prevent and respond to pandemics. In December 2021, WHO Member States decided to launch a global process to draft and negotiate a legally binding convention, agreement or other international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes the first global guidelines to prevent the occurrence of bloodstream and other infections caused by use of catheters placed in minor blood vessels during medical procedures. Poor practices in the insertion, maintenance, and removal of these catheters carry a high risk of introducing germs directly to the bloodstream, which can lead to serious conditions such as sepsis, and difficult-to-treat complications in major organs like the brain and kidneys. Soft tissue infections at the insertion site of the catheter can also occur. Up to 70% of all inpatients require the use of a catheter inserted into a peripheral vein or artery, also known as peripherally inserted catheters (PIVCs), at some point during their hospital stay.  People who receive treatments through catheters often are particularly vulnerable to infections, as they might be seriously ill or have low immunity.  WHO estimated that between 2000–2018, average mortality among patients affected by health care-associated sepsis was 24.4%, increasing to 52.3% among patients treated in intensive care units. Many bloodstream infections are caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. It is estimated that bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was directly responsible for at least 1.27 million deaths and contributed to an additional 4.95 million deaths in 2019. “Infections associated with health care delivery represent a preventable tragedy and a serious threat to the quality and safety of health care.” said Dr Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Course. “Implementing clean care and infection prevention and control recommendations is critical to saving lives and alleviating a great deal of avoidable suffering experienced by people around the world”.   Developing and implementing guidance to prevent the spread of such infections has been a key priority for WHO. The new guidelines include 14 good practice statements and 23 recommendations on key areas for health workers, including: education and training of health workers techniques of asepsis and hand hygiene practices insertion, maintenance, access, removal of catheters, and catheter selection WHO will continue to work with countries to develop and implement best practices to reduce the occurrence of bloodstream infections in hospitals, and to ensure all patients receive safe and effective care.

WHO is deeply concerned that a full-scale military operation in Rafah could lead to a bloodbath. More than 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in the area, many unable to move anywhere else.    A new wave of displacement would exacerbate overcrowding, further limiting access to food, water, health and sanitation services, leading to increased disease outbreaks, worsening levels of hunger, and additional loss of lives.   Only 33% of Gaza’s 36 hospitals and 30% of primary health care centers are functional in some capacity amid repeated attacks and shortages of vital medical supplies, fuel, and staff. As part of contingency efforts, WHO and partners are urgently working to restore and resuscitate health services, including through expansion of services and pre-positioning of supplies, but the broken health system would not be able to cope with a surge in casualties and deaths that a Rafah incursion would cause.    The three hospitals (Al-Najjar, Al-Helal Al-Emarati and Kuwait hospitals) currently partially operational in Rafah will become unsafe to be reached by patients, staff, ambulance, and humanitarians when hostilities intensify in their vicinity and, as a result quickly become nonfunctional.  The European Gaza Hospital in east Khan Younis, which is currently functioning as the third-level referral hospital for critical patients, is also vulnerable as it could become isolated and unreachable during the incursion. Given this, the south will be left with six field hospitals and Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area, serving as the only referral hospital.   As part of ongoing contingency efforts, WHO, partners and hospital staff have completed the first phase of restoration of Nasser Medical Complex, including cleaning and ensuring essential equipment is functioning. The emergency ward, nine operating theaters, intensive care unit, maternity ward, neonatal intensive care unit and the outpatient department are now partly functional, and national staff alongside emergency medical teams are working there.  To alleviate the burden on hospitals, WHO and partners are establishing additional primary health centers and medical points in Khan Younis, Middle Area, and northern Gaza as well as pre-positioning medical supplies to enable these facilities to detect and treat communicable and non-communicable diseases and manage wounds.  A new field hospital is being set up in Al Mawasi in Rafah.     A large WHO warehouse has been established in Deir al Bala and a sizable volume of medical supplies has been shifted there from WHO warehouses in Rafah as they could become unreachable during the incursion. These measures will help to ensure the rapid movement of supplies to Khan Younis, Middle Area and northern Gaza when needed.  In the north, WHO and partners are scaling up efforts to resupply and expand services at Kamal Adwan, Al-Ahli, and Al-Awda hospitals, along with supporting the transfer of very ill patients to hospitals where they can get the treatment they need to survive. Plans are also underway to support the restoration of Patients’ Friendly Hospital, focusing on pediatric services.   Despite the contingency plans and efforts, WHO warns that substantial additional mortality and morbidity is expected when the military incursion takes place.  WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the removal of the obstacles to the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance into and across Gaza, at the scale that is required.   WHO additionally calls for the sanctity of health care to be respected. Parties to the conflict have the coordinates of health facilities: it is imperative they are actively protected and remain accessible to patients, health workers and partners. The safety of health and humanitarian workers must be guaranteed. Those striving to save lives should not have to endanger their own.