Overview

• The World Health Organization's 2025 report reveals a 33-year gap in life expectancy between the highest- and lowest-ranked countries.
• Social determinants like poor housing, limited education, and lack of job opportunities significantly shorten life expectancy, often more than genetics or healthcare access.
• Progress on reducing health inequities has stalled due to predictable crises such as conflict, pandemics, and rising debt burdens in poorer nations.
• Currently, 3.8 billion people lack adequate social protection, with debt payments in the 75 poorest countries quadrupling over the past decade.
• WHO calls for structural reforms, including addressing income inequality, discrimination, and climate disruptions, to meet health equity targets.