Global Annual Results Report 2025: Goal Area 1 (Health)

About

The Global Annual Results Report 2025 for Goal Area 1: Child Survival and Development presents UNICEF’s results across five interconnected health result areas: strengthening primary health care (PHC), immunization, ending HIV/AIDS, child and adolescent health and well-being, and mental health and psychosocial well-being. Together with nutrition and development programming, these efforts aim to ensure that every child and adolescent survives and thrives through access to quality health services, nutritious diets, nurturing care and essential supplies. UNICEF’s work contributes directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 3.

Across all result areas, UNICEF prioritizes equitable access for the most vulnerable children and communities, with a strong emphasis on PHC, integration of services, disability inclusion, gender equality, climate action, humanitarian response and resilience. In 2025, UNICEF delivered strong results despite significant challenges, including declining global health financing, climate-related shocks, disease outbreaks, protracted conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Headline Results

• Strengthening primary health care: UNICEF supported PHC strengthening in 137 countries and helped nearly 52 million children access integrated primary health-care services through strengthened community health systems and frontline health workers.
• Immunization: UNICEF delivered 3.2 billion vaccine doses to 103 countries, including 860 million doses for outbreak response, and supported the Big Catch-Up initiative, which administered more than 94 million previously missed vaccine doses. UNICEF also supported vaccination of more than 191 million children against measles, including nearly 39.7 million children in humanitarian settings.
• Maternal and newborn health: UNICEF advanced efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths through the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere partnership, supporting countries to expand antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care and care for small and sick newborns. Globally, coverage of four antenatal care visits increased from 66 per cent in 2021 to 70 per cent in 2025, while births attended by skilled health personnel increased from 81 per cent to 86 per cent.
• HIV/AIDS: UNICEF continued to accelerate progress towards ending paediatric AIDS. Globally, more than 84 per cent of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2024, helping prevent mother-to-child transmission. UNICEF supported comprehensive paediatric HIV treatment interventions in 33 of 37 priority countries and expanded peer-led models for adolescents and young mothers.
• Adolescent health and early childhood development: UNICEF-supported adolescent health services reached more than 34 million adolescents across 44 countries, while 91 countries integrated early childhood development into PHC systems, benefiting an estimated 25 million children and families.
• Mental health and psychosocial well-being: By the end of 2025, 46 countries had integrated mental health and psychosocial support into primary health-care systems, reaching 6 million children, adolescents and caregivers during the year.
• Health emergency preparedness and response: UNICEF supported outbreak responses in 87 countries, strengthened surveillance and early warning systems, and maintained essential health services in fragile and humanitarian settings.