World health statistics 2021: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals

Abstract

WHO’s World health statistics report 2021 presents the latest data for more than 50 health-related indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s “Triple Billion” targets. It finds an overall increase in global life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth as a result of improvements in several communicable diseases, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions, noncommunicable diseases, injuries and their underlying determinants. Persisting inequalities also continue to impact population health in most, if not all, aspects. Despite the overall improvement in service coverage, between and within countries disadvantaged populations still have lower access to care and are at greater risk of facing catastrophic costs.