24 Global Health Wins of 2025

In 2025, despite major geopolitical and financing challenges, the world witnessed significant breakthroughs in global health, from local innovations to bold policy moves and historic milestones. In December, we opened one door each day in our Global Health Hub Germany Advent Calendar, sharing 24 global health wins that brought progress and optimism in 2025. Below is a compilation of these global health wins.

1. A new weapon against HIV: WHO recommends lenacapavir
In a landmark development, WHO recommended lenacapavir the first twice-yearly injectable option for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. With near-complete protection, it offers new hope, especially for people facing adherence barriers, stigma, or limited access to care. Read full post

2. Malaria vaccines scale up
By 2025, 24 countries had introduced the RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccines into routine childhood immunisation. With over 39 million doses delivered with Gavi support, evidence shows malaria cases can be reduced by more than half in the first year, and by up to 75% in high-transmission areas when vaccination is combined with seasonal chemoprevention. With comprehensive rollout, these vaccines could prevent up to half a million child deaths by 2035. Read full post

3. Polio cases fall to record lows
Only 28 wild polio cases were reported globally by September 2025, down from 99 cases in 2024. Pakistan and Afghanistan, the last endemic countries, recorded their lowest numbers ever. With increasingly sensitive surveillance and ongoing vaccination campaigns, the world is closer to eradicating polio, however vigilance against vaccine-derived outbreaks remains essential. Read full post

📘 Read our guest article on Germany’s Polio Dilemma: Leadership at the Last Mile

4. Major progress toward a tuberculosis vaccine
The Phase 3 trial of M72/AS01E, the first potential new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in 100 years, fully enrolled 20,000 volunteers ahead of schedule. Earlier trials showed about 50% protection for adolescents and adults with latent TB. Modelling shows this vaccine could avert 76 million cases, 8.5 million deaths, 42 million antibiotic courses, and US$ 42 billion in household costs over 25 years. With 16 TB vaccine candidates now in development, including 6 in Phase III, sustained global investment is essential. Read full post  

5. Six countries eliminate trachoma
Burundi, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Fiji, and Egypt were validated by WHO for eliminating trachoma. Trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness and a neglected tropical disease (NTD) has now been eliminated in 27 countries worldwide. This success reflects years of work with the WHO SAFE strategy (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvements), stronger health systems and community-led action. Read full post  

6. Guinea Worm’s countdown to zero
Guinea worm disease, a horrific parasitic infection that once affected 3.5 million people a year, is now at its lowest level in history, with just 4 human cases reported worldwide in 2025. This historic push, achieved without vaccines or medicines, reflects decades of strong partnerships, community-led surveillance, health education, and behaviour change and is on track to become only the second disease ever eradicated. Read full post

7. European Union pharmaceutical reform advances
In June 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted its position on the Pharma Package, the first comprehensive reform of EU pharmaceutical legislation in over 20 years. The package aims to boost European Union production of critical medicines, strengthen supply chains through early shortage reporting, risk assessments, and joint procurement, support innovation via data and market protection for new medicines, and reduce dependency through stronger international partnerships. Read full post

8. Smarter surveillance: EIOS 2.0 launched in Berlin
In October 2025, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence launched the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) 2.0, a major upgrade to the global early warning system that scans open sources in real time to detect public health threats. EIOS 2.0 which now supports 114 countries and around 30 organizations, integrates AI tools, real-time multilingual analysis, and collaborative dashboards to faster detect outbreaks. Read full post

9. HPV vaccine reaches 86 million girls
In 2025, Gavi’s three-year push to expand access to the HPV vaccine reached its target ahead of schedule in countries accounting for 89% of global cervical cancer cases. This effort has helped protect an estimated 86 million girls in the world’s highest-risk countries, and more than 1 million cervical cancer deaths have already been prevented. Read full post

10. African Medicines Agency becomes operational
After more than a decade in the making, the African Medicines Agency (AMA) was launched with 29 African Union member states joining forces to accelerate access to safe, quality medicines across the continent. The AMA will harmonize national approvals so that one assessment can be recognised across countries thereby reducing delays, costs, and duplication. Headquartered in Kigali, the agency marks a leap in health sovereignty and regulation. Read full post

11. Stronger core funding for the World Health Organization
At the 78th World Health Assembly, Member States approved a second 20% increase in mandatory membership fees, adding an extra $90 million annually to WHO’s core funding. By 2030, half of WHO’s budget is expected to come from predictable, stable funding. Over $210 million were also pledged to the WHO’s Investment Round for the new four-year strategy. Germany pledged additional €12 million funding in 2025 alone, affirming commitment to multilateralism. Read full post

12. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) moves forward, but billions still left behind
The UHC coverage index rose to 71 from 54 in 2000, while financial hardship from health expenses also declined, from 34% to 26%. Progress was especially strong in low-income countries investing in primary care and insurance schemes for vulnerable groups. Yet, 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential services and 2.1 billion face financial hardship when seeking care. Read full post

13. Over 100 Countries Committed to Climate-Resilient Health Systems
By 2025, 103 countries and over 95 partners had joined the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), committing to build climate-resilient and/or low-carbon sustainable health systems. At COP30, the Belém Health Action Plan, the first international climate adaptation plan for health, was endorsed by over 30 countries and 50 organizations, backed by a $300M pledge from the Climate and Health Funders Coalition. Read full post

14. Reflections on Progress
🎬 Listen to voices from across the global health community reflect on the good news they will remember from 2025, highlighting progress in health security, climate resilience, women’s health, vaccine equity, and humanitarian response

👉 Watch the video here: What good news in global health will you remember from 2025?

15. Global Tobacco Use Declines
Global tobacco use fell to 1.2 billion from 1.38 billion users in 2000, with 120 million fewer users since 2010. Women are quitting tobacco faster than men, hitting global reduction targets five years early. In South-East Asia, male smoking nearly halved, accounting for over half the global decline. Proven tobacco control policies have already saved an estimated 37 million lives worldwide. Read full post  

16. Africa’s vaccine manufacturing momentum grows
Driven by African leadership and backed by global partners, vaccine manufacturing across the continent gained more momentum in 2025. Key investments include a €95 million blended financing package from the European Investment Bank (EIB), a €130 million commitment from CEPI, and BioNTech’s mRNA facility in Kigali. With pilot production expected in 2026, the site will focus on high-burden diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and mpox. Across the continent, more than 30 vaccine manufacturing projects are now active, including in South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, and Kenya. Read full post

17. New medicines and diagnostics bring hope
2025 saw the approval or scale-up of several innovations, including NUZOLVENCE® (zoliflodacin), the first new oral antibiotic for uncomplicated gonorrhoea in decades; Lynkuet™ (elinzanetant), a hormone-free treatment option for severe hot flashes, needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for anaphylaxis, and expanded at-home testing for sexually transmitted infections. Read full post here

18. Using artificial intelligence to beat tuberculosis
In September 2025, Ethiopia took a major step in the fight against tuberculosis by launching a national rollout of 225 AI-powered digital X-ray screening systems in collaboration with WHO and REACH Ethiopia. Rwanda also received a $17.5 million funding boost from the Gates Foundation for Africa’s first AI Scaling Hub, supporting AI innovation, including in health. Read full post

💡 AI promises major breakthroughs in global health but can innovation scale without deepening inequalities or introducing new risks? Stay tuned as our cross-community working group on the 2025/26 annual theme “AI in Global Health: A Double-Edged Sword” shares more insights in 2026.

19. India’s telemedicine platform scales up to reach millions
India’s national telemedicine platform, eSanjeevani, crossed 430 million consultations across all states and union territories, bringing care to even the most remote areas. With 57% women users and integration into public systems, it shows how telehealth can close access gaps. Read full post

20. Global life expectancy rebounds
Global life expectancy reached 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men, exceeding pre-pandemic levels in nearly two-thirds of countries and standing more than 20 years higher than in 1950. This recovery reflects sustained investment in immunisation, infectious disease control and primary health care, demonstrating that global health policy delivers results. Read full post

21. Major disease elimination milestones
Countries achieved major elimination certifications, including sleeping sickness in Kenya, onchocerciasis in Niger, malaria elimination in Suriname, and triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in the Maldives. Read full post

22. Historic Pandemic Agreement signed
In May 2025, the World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, a landmark treaty to strengthen how the world prevents, prepares for, and responds to future pandemics. As only the second treaty under WHO’s constitution, it reflects a global commitment to equity, science, and solidarity. Read full post

📣 Your voice matters: Contribute to the 2026 UN High Level Meeting on PPPR

23. Deadly outbreaks contained
2025 tested global health systems but also showed what is possible through swift, coordinated responses. Uganda (Ebola), Tanzania (Marburg), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ebola), and India (Nipah) demonstrated how strong national leadership, early detection, and global cooperation can save lives. Read full post

24. Global solidarity defies the odds
Over $11 billion was pledged to the Global Fund in 2025 including €1 billion from Germany with many African nations stepping up as first-time contributors. Gavi’s replenishment mobilized $9+ billion, with Germany contributing €600 million, alongside strong co-financing pledges from implementing countries and new multilateral financing streams. While funding gaps remain, these commitments reaffirmed that global solidarity endures. Read full post