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

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

(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 Global health is the health of populations in a worldwide context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problems th ...

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(archived 5 February 2011) According ...

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 Financial risk is any of various types of risk associated with financing, including financial transactions that include company loans in risk of default. Often it is understood to include only downside risk, meaning the potential for financi ...

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 health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...

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

2008: Primary health care

The theme of the ''World Health Report 2008'' was the renewal of

primary health care Primary health care (PHC) is a whole-of-society approach to effectively organise and strengthen national health systems to bring services for health and wellbeing closer to communities. Primary health care enables health systems to support a pe ...

, and the need for

health system A health system, health care system or healthcare system is an organization of people, institutions, and resources that delivers health care services to meet the health needs of target populations. There is a wide variety of health systems aroun ...

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, epidemics, 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 de ...

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 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 gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy, where one or more Fetus, fetuses exits the Womb, internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section and becomes a newborn to ...

or soon after. The report said that reducing this toll in line with the Millennium Development Goals would depend largely on every mother and every child having the right to access to

health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

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 The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

pandemic.

2003: Shaping the future

The ''World health report 2003'' examined the

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 adversely affects the structure or function (biology), function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical condi ...

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 disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, d ...

and

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

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 is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

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