Ebola, malnutrition, the rise of drug-resistant diseases. It can be easy to think that our world is facing insurmountable crises. But we’re here to tell you that in fact, we’ve never been closer to every person being able to lead a healthy life, free from disease and poverty. And you can help get us even closer.
For every story of a child dying of disease, there is news of medical breakthroughs. For every threat of a pandemic that affects the most vulnerable in our world, there is the hope of experts coming together to help each other, as happened when the UK's NHS medics went to work shoulder-to-shoulder with West African doctors to fight Ebola.
In the last 15 years, thanks to amazing partnerships across the world inspired by the Millennium Development Goals, 500 million children have been immunised against disease, preventing 6 million deaths. The world is on the brink of finally eradicating polio. Good nutrition for more mothers and babies is enabling children to thrive at school. Access to trained health workers and better medical facilities is helping to catch disease before it’s too late. Yet the word “crisis” is not an exaggeration.
Ebola swept so quickly through West Africa because the health systems there simply weren’t strong enough to cope. Despite progress, every year 1.5 million people needlessly die of TB and 6.6 million children die of pneumonia and diarrhoea because they didn’t have access to basic immunisations.
Far too often, the most vulnerable are being left behind. Action is needed now to change this. The progress over the last few years shows what’s possible when people and nations stand together. The world is inching slowly towards the place we all want – where everyone can fulfil their potential, can be independent, can turn their hopes and dreams into reality. Your health shouldn’t depend on where you were born. With your help, we can achieve Health For Everyone, and leave no-one behind.
This is why we have launched our new campaign, Leave no-one behind: Health for all. Find out more here.