Delegates at the ongoing World Health Assembly in Geneva have agreed to a new five-year strategic plan to save at least 29 million lives by 2023.
The ambitious plan includes three targets: to ensure that an extra one billion people benefit from universal health coverage by 2023; an additional one billion people are better protected from health emergencies; and another billion enjoy better health and well being.
It has been dubbed the “triple billion”, and the World Health Organisation estimates achieving the target could save nearly 29 million lives.
The strategy is to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with particular focus on goals to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for all at all ages by 2030.
WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus told delegates that the new strategic plan was ambitious because, "It must be".
But WHO will need to make strategic shifts in order to achieve the targets, according to delegates.
Notable among suggested shifts is for WHO to step up its leadership of public health, focus on impact in countries, and ensure that people can access authoritative and strategic information on matters that affect public health.
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