It is annual compilation of health and health-related indicators, been published by World Health Organization (WHO) since 2005. 

Key Highlights 

• Global progress towards health and health-related SDGs: Remains uneven and too slow to meet 2030 targets. 
• Infectious Diseases: Global long-term declines for infectious diseases between 2010 and 2024 for HIV infections, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, etc. 
  • However global malaria incidence rose 8.5% since 2015. 
• High prevalence rates of preventable risk factors: Rising Global anaemia prevalence in women of reproductive age and Violence against women. 
• Air pollution: Estimated 2.0 billion people worldwide still rely on polluting cooking fuels and technologies in 2024. 
• Progress towards Universal Health Coverage: About a quarter of global population faces financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health spending. 
  • 1.6 billion people are living in/have been pushed into poverty because of health expenses as of 2022.
• Global life expectancy and HALE (Healthy Life Expectancy): COVID‑19 pandemic erased nearly decade of progress with both falling to 2011 levels in 2021. 

Measures to Strengthen Mortality Surveillance for Effective Policy Actions

• Sustained investment in robust CRVS (civil registration and vital statistics) systems:  Improved medical certification of cause of death. 
• Investments in digital health infrastructure: Like interoperable platforms, secure data architecture and scalable digital tools, ensuring national data sovereignty. 
• Adhering to Global Binding Standards: WHO Nomenclature Regulations 1967, integrating International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11 into national systems. 
• Best Practices: E.g., Morocco transitioned from centralized to decentralized digital cause-of-death reporting platform.