This year marks the start of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new five-year strategic plan – the 13th General Programme of Work. This plan focuses on a triple billion target: ensuring 1 billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people are protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well-being. Reaching this goal will require addressing the threats to health from a variety of angles.
Ten threats to global health in 2019, according to WHO:
1. Air pollution and climate change
2. Noncommunicable diseases
3. Global influenza pandemic
4. Fragile and vulnerable settings, such as regions suffering from drought, famine, conflict or population displacement
5. Antimicrobial resistance
6. Ebola and other high-threat pathogens
7. Weak primary healthcare
8. Vaccine hesitancy
9. Dengue
10. HIV