Tracking the Triple Billions and delivering results

Overview

Measurable impact. These two words are at the heart of WHO’s transformational Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 13). Our mission is to promote health, protect people, and serve the vulnerable. Success relies on delivering measurable improvements to health in all countries. This is why we introduced the Triple Billion targets for healthier populations, universal health coverage, and health emergencies protection.

They offer a unified approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute to improvements in healthy life expectancy.

The Triple Billions are underpinned by 46 outcome indicators. They include 39 SDG indicators and seven non-SDG indicators (See Appendix, p.11). These offer a flexible approach to each of the Triple Billion targets, allowing countries to prioritize certain indicators based on their national health strategy, ensuring the Triple Billion strategy remains relevant for all Member States and their unique health challenges.

When we established the Triple Billion targets in 2018, our aim was to support countries to reach at least a billion more people within each target, but we need to revisit our ambition and drive acceleration.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a tragic loss of lives and livelihoods and, in worsening inequalities, is threatening to reverse our progress. The virus and its secondary effects threaten to push as many as 100 million people into extreme poverty. With nearly 183 million people targeted for humanitarian assistance and protection in 2022, this represents a 65% increase just since 2020. Now is the time to take stock, so that we can reclaim our progress and continue to enhance global health.

Much faster – and much greater – progress remains within reach. And this work is enabled by our partnerships with multilateral agencies, civil society, the private sector and others. We can only achieve this together.