Driving impact
in every country

At the United Nations Climate Action Summit held in 2019, 50 countries – representing more than 1 billion people – answered WHO’s call to provide citizens with clean air by 2030, committing to achieve WHO’s recommendations.

The number of cities monitoring air quality measurements through a WHO air quality database has quadrupled since 2011, reaching 4300 in 2018. Thirty countries have already made significant progress in meeting their commitments to improve safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health facilities.

WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has protected more and more people against the harms of tobacco since it was ratified 15 years ago. Currently, about two thirds of the global population are covered by at least one tobacco control measure under WHO’s “MPOWER” package.

A historic agreement was reached between WHO and the International Food and Beverage Association, which has committed to eliminate industrially produced trans-fats from the global food supply by 2023. Fifty-four countries have established legislations to eliminate industrial trans-fats from the food supply following WHO’s REPLACE package. With the support of WHO, 60 countries now have a tax on sugar sweetened beverages.

A new tool has been launched to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of national food safety systems and prioritize interventions with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). WHO has also worked with FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health in a tripartite arrangement to strengthen action against antimicrobial resistance. Alliances with civil society and other partners have helped improve road safety in Chile, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Slovenia and Trinidad and Tobago.

Work to promote health and well-being faces a significant challenge, however, in attracting the attention and investments that it deserves based on its impact on morbidity and mortality.