The ''World Health Report'' (WHR) is a series of annual reports produced by the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

(WHO). First published in 1995, the ''World Health Report'' is WHO's leading publication. The reports were published every year from 1995 to 2008, and again in 2010 and 2013. The reports are available in multiple languages, and include an expert assessment of a specific global health topic, relating to all countries that are Member States of the organization. The main purpose of the WHR is to provide policymakers, donor agencies, international organizations and others with the information they need to help them make appropriate

health policy Health policy can be defined as the "decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific healthcare goals within a society".World Health Organization''Health Policy'' accessed 22 March 2011(Web archive)/ref> According to the ...

and funding decisions. However, the report is also accessible to a wider audience, such as universities, journalists and the public at large. It is expected that anyone, with a professional or personal interest in international health issues, will be able to read and take use of it.

List of themes by year

Each WHR addresses a different theme. The following is a list of reports and themes. *2013: Research for universal health coverage *2010: Health systems financing: The path to universal coverage *2008: Primary health care: Now more than ever *2007: A safer future: global public health security in the 21st century *2006: Working together for health *2005: Make every mother and child count *2004: Changing history *2003: Shaping the future *2002: Reducing risks, promoting healthy life *2001: Mental health: new understanding, new hope *2000: Health systems: improving performance *1999: Making a difference *1998: Life in the 21st century: a vision for all *1997: Conquering suffering, enriching humanity *1996: Fighting disease, fostering development *1995: Bridging the gaps

WHR 2013: Research for universal health coverage

The ''World Health Report 2013'' focuses on the importance of research in advancing progress towards universal health care coverage – in other words, full access to high-quality services for prevention, treatment and financial risk protection. The report advocates for increased international and national investment in research aimed specifically at improving coverage of health services within and between countries. Examples of required research include

medical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from " basic research" (also called ''bench science'' or ''bench research''), – involving fundamental scienti ...

, or investigating the causes of ill-health and the interventions needed to improve health and wellbeing, as well as

health services research Health services research (HSR) became a burgeoning field in North America in the 1960s, when scientific information and policy deliberation began to coalesce. Sometimes also referred to as health systems research or health policy and systems resear ...

, focusing on how to expand service coverage and reduce inequities in coverage.

Previous reports

2010: Health Systems Financing

The ''World Health Report 2010'' focused on the topic of universal health care coverage, and how countries can modify their financing systems to move towards this goal. The report provided an action agenda for countries at all stages of development, and proposed ways that the international community can better support efforts in low-income countries to achieve universal coverage and improve

population health Population health has been defined as "the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group". It is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of an entire human population. It ha ...

outcomes.

2008: Primary health care

The theme of the ''World Health Report 2008'' was the renewal of primary health care, and the need for

health system Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organi ...

s to respond better and faster to the health care challenges of a changing world.

2007: Global public health security

The main concern of the ''World Health Report 2007'' was how the world is at increasing risk of disease outbreaks,

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics of infectious ...

s, industrial accidents, natural disasters and other health emergencies which can rapidly become threats to global

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

security. The report described how the new International Health Regulations help countries to work together to identify risks and act to contain and control them.

2006: Working together for health

The ''World Health Report 2006'' (WHR2006) highlighted the estimated shortage of almost 4.3 million doctors, nurses, midwives, and other

health human resources Health human resources (HHR) – also known as human resources for health (HRH) or health workforce – is defined as "all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance positive health outcomes", according to World Health Organizat ...

worldwide, calling the situation a "global health workforce crisis". The report laid out a ten-year action plan for building national health workforces through better training, recruitment and management processes.

2005: Make every mother and child count

The ''World Health Report 2005'' focused on the fact that almost 11 million children under five years of age die annually from causes that are largely preventable, and another half a million women die in

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births glob ...

or soon after. The report said that reducing this toll in line with the

Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenn ...

would depend largely on every mother and every child having the right to access to

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health pr ...

from pregnancy through childbirth, the neonatal period and childhood.

2004: Changing history

The topic of the ''World Health Report 2004'' was the global

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

pandemic.

2003: Shaping the future

The ''World health report 2003'' examined the global health situation and some of the major threats to health. The report advocated that major improvements in health for all were within reach, and that progress depended on collaboration among governments, international institutions, the private sector and civil society to build stronger health systems.

2002: Reducing risks, promoting healthy life

The ''World health report 2002'' described the amount of

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

and

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

in the world that could be attributed to a selected number of the most important risks to human health. It projected how much this burden could lowered in the next 20 years if the same risk factors were reduced.

2001: Mental health

The largely neglected area of

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles Stress (biology), stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-maki ...

was the core focus of the ''World health report 2001''.

2000: Health systems: improving performance

The ''World Health Report 2000'' introduced a conceptual framework and measurement approach to examine and compare aspects of

s around the world, and better understand the complex factors that explain how health systems perform.World Health Organization: ''The world health report 2000 - Health systems: improving performance."
/ref> The report provided an assessment of the performance of national health systems for all countries.

References

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External links

Official World Health Organization page on the World Health Report
World Health Organization United Nations documents Publications established in 1995 Irregular journals