Today, Suriname became the first country in the Amazon region to receive malaria-free certification from the World Health Organization (WHO). This historic milestone follows nearly 70 years of commitment by the government and people of Suriname to eliminate the disease across its vast rainforests and diverse communities.“WHO congratulates Suriname on this remarkable achievement,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This certification is a powerful affirmation of the principle that everyone—regardless of nationality, background, or migration status—deserves universal access to malaria diagnosis and treatment. Suriname’s steadfast commitment to health equity serves as an inspiration to all countries striving for a malaria-free future.”With today’s announcement, a total of 46 countries and 1 territory have been certified as malaria-free by WHO, including 12 countries in the Region of the Americas.“Suriname did what was needed to eliminate malaria—detecting and treating every case quickly, investigating to prevent spread, and engaging communities,” said Dr Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), WHO’s regional office for the Americas. “This certification reflects years of sustained effort, especially reaching remote areas. It means future generations can grow up free from this potentially deadly disease.”Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous transmission has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years.Dr Amar Ramadhin, Minister of Health of Suriname, stated: "Being malaria-free means that our population is no longer at risk from malaria. Furthermore, eliminating malaria will have positive effects on our healthcare sector, boost the economy, and enhance tourism.“At the same time, we recognize that maintaining this status requires ongoing vigilance. We must continue to take the necessary measures to prevent the reintroduction of malaria. We are proud that our communities are now protected, and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to our beautiful Suriname—while remaining fully committed to safeguarding these hard-won gains.”Suriname’s road to eliminationSuriname’s malaria control efforts began in 1950s in the country’s densely-populated coastal areas, relying heavily on indoor spraying with the pesticide DDT and antimalarial treatment. By the 1960s, the coastal areas had become malaria-free and attention turned towards the country’s forested interior, home to diverse indigenous and tribal communities.Although indoor spraying was successful in coastal areas, its impact was limited in the country's interior due to the prevalence of traditional open-style homes that offer minimal protection against mosquitoes. In 1974 malaria control in the interior was decentralized to Medische Zending, Suriname’s primary health care service, which recruited and trained healthcare workers from the local communities to provide early diagnosis and treatment.The surge in mining activities, particularly gold mining which often involves travel between malaria-endemic areas, led to increases in malaria, reaching a peak of more than 15 000 cases in 2001, the highest transmission rates of malaria in the Americas.Since 2005, with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the capacity to provide diagnosis was greatly expanded with both improvements in microscopy and the use of rapid diagnostic tests, particularly among mobile groups. Artemisinin-based treatments with primaquine were introduced in Suriname and neighboring countries through PAHO-led studies under the Amazon Malaria Initiative (AMI-RAVREDA), supported by the United States. Prevention among high-risk groups was also strengthened through the distribution of insecticide-treated nets funded by the Global Fund.By 2006, malaria had drastically decreased among the indigenous populations, prompting Suriname to shift its focus to high-risk mobile populations in remote mining areas. To reach these groups—many of whom were migrants from neighboring endemic countries—the country established a network of Malaria Service Deliverers, recruited directly from the mining communities. These trained and supervised community workers provide free malaria diagnosis, treatment, and prevention services, playing a vital role in closing access gaps in hard-to-reach regions.Through ensuring universal access to diagnosis and treatment regardless of legal status, deploying an extensive network of community health workers, and implementing nationwide malaria screening, including at border crossings, Suriname successfully eliminated malaria. The last locally transmitted case of Plasmodium falciparum malaria was recorded in 2018, followed by the final Plasmodium vivax case in 2021.Sustained leadership commitment and fundingThe government of Suriname has shown strong commitment to malaria elimination, including through the National Malaria Elimination Taskforce, Malaria Program, Malaria Elimination Fund, and cross-border collaboration with Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana. For many years PAHO/WHO, with the support of the U.S. Government, has provided technical cooperation throughout Suriname’s anti-malaria campaign. Since 2016 Suriname also participated in the “Elimination 2025” initiative – a group of countries identified by WHO as having the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025.This success in Suriname is a demonstration that malaria elimination is possible in challenging contexts in the Amazon basin and in tropical continental countries. The country’s malaria-free certification plays a critical role in advancing PAHO's Disease Elimination Initiative which aims to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases, including malaria, in countries of the Americas by 2030.Note to the editorWHO malaria-free certificationThe final decision on awarding a malaria-free certification is made by the WHO Director-General, based on a recommendation by the Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification and validation from the Malaria Policy Advisory Group. For more on WHO’s malaria-free certification process, visit  this link. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection has released its global report revealing that 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness, with significant impacts on health and well-being. Loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour—more than 871 000 deaths annually. Strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life, the report says.“In this Report, we pull back the curtain on loneliness and isolation as a defining challenge of our time. Our Commission lays out a road map for how we can build more connected lives and underscores the profound impact this can have on health, educational, and economic outcomes,” said Dr Vivek Murthy, Co-chair of the WHO Commission on Social Connection, and former Surgeon General of the United States of America.WHO defines social connection as the ways people relate to and interact with others. Loneliness is described as the painful feeling that arises from a gap between desired and actual social connections, while social isolation refers to the objective lack of sufficient social connections.“In this age when the possibilities to connect are endless, more and more people are finding themselves isolated and lonely," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "Apart from the toll it takes on individuals, families and communities, left unaddressed, loneliness and social isolation will continue to cost society billions in terms of health care, education, and employment. I welcome the Commission's report, which shines a light on the scale and impact of loneliness and isolation, and outlines key areas in which we can help people to reconnect in ways that matter most.”Scale and causes of loneliness and social isolationLoneliness affects people of all ages, especially youth and people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Between 17–21% of individuals aged 13–29-year-olds reported feeling lonely, with the highest rates among teenagers. About 24% of people in low-income countries reported feeling lonely — twice the rate in high-income countries (about 11%).“Even in a digitally connected world, many young people feel alone. As technology reshapes our lives, we must ensure it strengthens—not weakens—human connection. Our report shows that social connection must be integrated into all policies—from digital access to health, education, and employment,” said Chido Mpemba, Co-chair of the WHO Commission on Social Connection and Advisor to the African Union Chairperson. While data on social isolation is more limited, it is estimated to affect up to 1 in 3 older adults and 1 in 4 adolescents. Some groups, such as people with disabilities, refugees or migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and indigenous groups and ethnic minorities, may face discrimination or additional barriers that make social connection harder.Loneliness and social isolation have multiple causes. They include, for instance, poor health, low income and education, living alone, inadequate community infrastructure and public policies, and digital technologies. The report underscores the need for vigilance around the effects of excessive screen time or negative online interactions on the mental health and well-being of young people.  Impacts on health, quality of life and economiesSocial connection can protect health across the lifespan. It can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health problems, foster mental health, and prevent early death. It can also strengthen the social fabric, contributing to making communities healthier, safer and more prosperous. In contrast, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed. Loneliness can also lead to anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.The impacts extend to learning and employment. Teenagers who felt lonely were 22% more likely to get lower grades or qualifications. Adults who are lonely may find it harder to find or maintain employment and may earn less over time.At a community level, loneliness undermines social cohesion and costs billions in lost productivity and health care. Communities with strong social bonds tend to be safer, healthier and more resilient, including in response to disasters.A path to healthier societiesThe report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection outlines a roadmap for global action focusing on five key areas: policy, research, interventions, improved measurement (including developing a global Social Connection Index), and public engagement, to shift social norms and bolster a global movement for social connection.Solutions to reduce loneliness and social isolation exist at multiple levels – national, community and individual – and range from raising awareness and changing national policies to strengthening social infrastructure (e.g., parks, libraries, cafés) and providing psychological interventions.Most people know what it feels like to be lonely. And each person can make a difference through simple, everyday steps—like reaching out to a friend in need, putting away one’s phone to be fully present in conversation, greeting a neighbor, joining a local group, or volunteering. If the problem is more serious, finding out about available support and services for people who feel lonely is important.The costs of social isolation and loneliness are high, but the benefits of social connection are far-reaching.With the release of the Commission report, WHO calls on all Member States, communities and individuals to make social connection a public health priority.Access the full report hereEditor’s notes The report launch follows the first-ever resolution on social connection, adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2025, which urges Member States to develop and implement evidence-based policies, programmes and strategies to raise awareness and promote positive social connection for mental and physical health. At the WHA, WHO also announced a new campaign called “ Knot Alone” to promote social connection for better health. Tune in to WHO’s social media channels to follow the campaign.  As part of its broader efforts, WHO has also launched the Social Connection Series to explore the lived experience of loneliness and social isolation. Learn more about the series here. 

The WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), a panel of 27 independent, international, multidisciplinary experts, today published its report on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 finds that almost 92% of the world’s population now has basic access to electricity. Although this is an improvement since 2022, which saw the number of people without basic access decrease for the first time in a decade, over 666 million people remain without access, indicating that the current rate is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access is progressing but below the rates of progress seen in the 2010s, as efforts remain hobbled by setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic, following energy price shocks, and debt crises.Released today, the latest edition of the annual report that tracks progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 highlights the role of distributed renewable energy (a combination of mini-grid and off-grid solar systems) to accelerate access, since the population remaining unconnected lives mostly in remote, lower-income, and fragile areas. Cost-effective and rapidly scalable, decentralised solutions are able to reach communities in such rural areas.Decentralised solutions are also needed to increase access to clean cooking. With an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lacking access to clean cooking, the use of off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that facilitate electric cooking, can provide solutions that reduce health impacts caused by household air pollution. Over 670 million people remain without electricity access, and over 2 billion people remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs.Notable progress was made in different indicators. The international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew for the third year in a row to reach US$ 21.6 billion in 2023. Installed renewables capacity per capita continued to increase year-on-year to reach a new high of 341 watts per capita in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015.Yet regional disparities persist, indicating that particular support is needed for developing regions. In sub-Saharan Africa – which lags behind across most indicators – renewables deployment has rapidly expanded but remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita on average which is only one-eighth of the average of other developing countries. Eighty-five percent of the global population without electricity access reside in the region, while four in five families are without access to clean cooking. And the number of people without clean cooking access in the region continues to grow at a rate of 14 million people yearly.The report identified the lack of sufficient and affordable financing as a key reason for regional inequalities and slow progress. To build on the achievements to date and avoid any further regressions on access to electricity and clean cooking due to looming risks in global markets, the report calls for strengthened international cooperation of public and private sectors, to scale up financial support for developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Urgent actions include reforms in multilateral and bilateral lending to expand the availability of public capital; more concessional finance mobilisation, grants, and risk mitigation instruments; improvement in risk tolerance among donors; as well as appropriate national energy planning and regulations.Key findings across primary indicatorsAlmost 92% of the world’s population now has access to electricity, leaving over 666 million people without electricity in 2023, with around 310 million people gaining access since 2015. Eighteen of the 20 countries with the largest electricity access deficits in 2023 were in sub-Saharan Africa. The greatest growth in access between 2020 and 2023 occurred in Central and Southern Asia, with both regions making significant strides towards universal electricity access, reducing their basic access gap from 414 million in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023. Little to no change was observed in access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking between 2022 and 2023. Although the number of the world’s population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies increased from 64% in 2015 to 74% in 2023, around 2.1 billion people remain dependent on polluting fuels and technologies. If current trends continue, only 78% of the global population will have access to clean cooking by 2030. In 2022, the global share of renewable energy sources in total final energy consumption (TFEC) was 17.9% as TFEC continued to increase gradually, while installed renewable energy capacity reached 478 watts per capita in 2023, indicating almost 13% growth from 2022. But progress is not sufficient to meet international climate and sustainable development goals. In addition, global efforts must address significant disparities. Despite progress in expanding renewable capacity, least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa had only 40 watts per capita in installed renewables capacity, compared to developed countries which had over 1100 watts installed. Global energy efficiency experienced sluggish progress in recent years. The global trend shows that primary energy intensity, defined as the ratio of total energy supply to gross domestic product, declined by 2.1% in 2022. Although it is an improvement of more than four times the weak 0.5% improvement rate of 2021, it is insufficient to meet the original SDG 7.3 target. Going forward, energy intensity needs to improve by 4% per year on average. International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy increased by 27% from 2022, reaching US$ 21.6 billion in 2023. However, the report reveals that the developing world received fewer flows in 2023 than in 2016, when commitments peaked at US$ 28.4 billion. Despite gradual diversification, funding remained concentrated, with only two sub-Saharan African countries in the top five recipients. Debt-based instruments drove most of the increase in international public flows in 2023, accounting for 83% in 2023, while grants made up only 9.8% of flows.The report will be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 16 July 2025 at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, which oversees progress on the SDGs.QuotesFatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency“Despite progress in some parts of the world, the expansion of electricity and clean cooking access remains disappointingly slow, especially in Africa. This is contributing to millions of premature deaths each year linked to smoke inhalation, and is holding back development and education opportunities. Greater investment in clean cooking and electricity supply is urgently required, including support to reduce the cost of capital for projects.”Francesco La Camera, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency“Renewables have seen record growth in recent years, reminding the world of its affordability, scalability, and its role in further reducing energy poverty. But we must accelerate progress at this crunch time. This means overcoming challenges, which include infrastructure gaps. The lack of progress, especially on infrastructure, is a reflection of limited access to financing. Although international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew to US$ 21.6 billion in 2023, only two regions in the world have seen real progress in the financial flows. To close the access and infrastructure gaps, we need strengthened international cooperation to scale up affordable financing and impact–driven capital for the least developed and developing countries.”Stefan Schweinfest, Director, United Nations Statistics Division“This year’s report shows that now is the time to come together to build on existing achievements and scale up our efforts. Despite advancements in increasing renewables-based electricity, which now makes up almost 30 percent of global electricity consumption, the use of renewables for other energy-related purposes remains stagnant. While energy intensity improved in 2022, overall progress remains weak, threatening economic growth and the energy efficiency goals agreed upon at COP28. The clock is ticking. The findings of this year’s report should serve as a rallying point, to rapidly mobilize efforts and investments, so that together, we ensure sustainable energy for all by 2030.”Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank"As we approach the five-year mark to achieve the SDG7 targets, it is imperative to accelerate the deployment of electricity connections, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 85% of the 666 million people lacking access reside. As part of the Mission 300 movement, 12 African nations have launched national energy compacts, in which they commit to substantial reforms to lower costs of generation and transmission, and scale up distributed renewable energy solutions. Initiatives such as this unite governments, the private sector, and development partners in a collaborative effort.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, World Health Organization“The same pollutants that are poisoning our planet are also poisoning people, contributing to millions of deaths each year from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, particularly among the most vulnerable, including women and children," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "We urgently need scaled-up action and investment in clean cooking solutions to protect the health of both people and planet—now and in the future.”About the reportThis report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.This year’s edition was chaired by IRENA.The report can be downloaded at https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).Editor's noteOn 26 June 2025, this news release was edited to correct an error in the quote from Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank.  The original version had incorrectly stated that half of the 666 million people lacking access to electricity reside in sub-Saharan Africa. The correct proportion is 85%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, warning that action is needed to maintain and accelerate progress in tobacco control as rising industry interference challenges tobacco policies and control efforts.The report focuses on the six proven WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use, which claims over 7 million lives a year:Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies;Protecting people from tobacco smoke with smoke-free air legislation;Offering help to quit tobacco use;Warning about the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media;Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; andRaising taxes on tobacco.Since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of the WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use at best-practice level. Today, over 6.1 billion people, three-quarters of the world’s population, are protected by at least one such policy, compared to just 1 billion in 2007. Four countries have implemented the full MPOWER package: Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and Türkiye. Seven countries are just one measure away from achieving the full implementation of the MPOWER package, signifying the highest level of tobacco control, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia and Spain.However, there are major gaps. Forty countries still have no MPOWER measure at best-practice level and more than 30 countries allow cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings.“Twenty years since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By uniting science, policy and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies or steals futures. Together, we can end the tobacco epidemic.”The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report, developed with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, was launched during the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control. The awards celebrated several governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) making progress to reduce tobacco use.“Since Bloomberg Philanthropies started supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, there has been a sea change in the way countries prevent tobacco use, but there is still a long way to go,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to WHO’s urgent work – and to saving millions more lives together.”The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report reveals that the most striking gains have been in graphic health warnings, one of the key measures under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), that make the harms of tobacco impossible to ignore:110 countries now require them – up from just 9 in 2007 – protecting 62% of the global population; and 25 countries have adopted plain packaging.WHO warns, however, that enforcement is inconsistent, and smokeless tobacco packaging remains poorly regulated. The new report is accompanied by a new data portal that tracks country-by-country progress between 2007–2025.Despite their effectiveness, 110 countries haven’t run anti-tobacco campaigns since 2022. However, 36% of the global population now lives in countries that have run best-practice campaigns, up from just 19% in 2022. WHO urges countries to invest in message-tested and evaluated campaigns.Taxes, quit services and advertising bans have been expanding, but many improvements are needed: Taxation: 134 countries have failed to make cigarettes less affordable. Since 2022, just 3 have increased taxes to the best-practice level.Cessation: Only 33% of people globally have access to cost-covered quit services.Advertising bans: Best-practice bans exist in 68 countries, covering over 25% of the global population.Around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. Today, 79 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free environments, covering one-third of the world’s population. Since 2022, six additional countries (Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Uzbekistan) have adopted strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance, particularly in hospitality venues.There has been a growing trend to regulate the use of e-cigarettes or ENDS – Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. The number of countries regulating or banning ENDS has grown from 122 in 2022 to 133 in 2024, a clear signal of increased attention to these products. However, over 60 countries still lack any regulations on ENDS.WHO is calling for urgent action in areas where momentum is lagging. “Governments must act boldly to close remaining gaps, strengthen enforcement, and invest in the proven tools that save lives. WHO calls on all countries to accelerate progress on MPOWER and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against tobacco,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion.