2024. Six Glimmers of Hope in a Grim Year

We can safely say that 2024 has been far from uplifting. Yet, there have been some notable developments regarding global and planetary health.

We can safely say that 2024 has been far from uplifting: three ongoing wars (Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, South Sudan), catastrophic floods in Valencia, and ravaging wildfires in Canada… Dengue cases soared to record highs, fueled by the harsh reality of global warming as the world’s average temperature surpassed the critical 1.5°C threshold for the first time. All this unfolded against a backdrop of growing populism, authoritarianism, and anti-science attitudes.

Yet, amidst these crises, there have been some notable developments regarding global and planetary health. With my ISGlobal colleagues, we have chosen six:

While an effective HIV vaccine remains elusive, the antiretroviral drug lenacapavir has emerged as a highly promising tool for preventing HIV infections. Administered via two yearly subcutaneous injections, it showed more than 99% efficacy in two large phase 3 trials, including one involving more than 5,000 adolescents and young women in South Africa and Uganda. This could revolutionize HIV prevention in settings where daily adherence to oral pills is difficult. Adding to the good news, Gilead has signed agreements with six pharmaceutical manufacturers to make and sell generic versions in countries with limited resources and high rates of HIV.

2024 marked a turning point in the fight against malaria, a disease that claims around 600,000 lives annually. The two first licenced vaccines, RTS,S and R21, were widely introduced into routine childhood immunisation programmes, with funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. By May, around 4.33 million doses of RTS,S had been delivered to 8 countries, and the Central African Republic became one of the first countries to receive the R21 vaccine for use in routine childhood immunization. By December, 17 countries had deployed more than 10 million vaccine doses. With sufficient vaccine supply (80-100 million doses annually by 2030), experts predict this widespread roll-out will save tens of thousands of children’s lives each year.

In September, Rwanda reported its first-ever outbreak of Marburg, a highly lethal disease of zoonotic origin. Worryingly, most of the 66 cases were among healthcare workers in hospitals across Kigali, a densely populated city. Yet, within just two months, Rwanda managed to control the outbreak, keeping the fatality rate at 23%—far below the 50% average. This achievement underscores the critical role of robust disease surveillance and response capacities, proving that the effective management of outbreaks is not solely determined by a country’s income level.

In July, the WHO released an updated R&D plan to prevent future epidemics and pandemics, shifting its focus from single pathogens to entire families of viruses. This plan, developed by over 200 scientists from 50 countries, reviewed available evidence on 28 viral families and one bacterial group over two years. It proposes developing diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines not only for 34 high-risk pathogens (based on virulence, transmissibility and lack of medical countermeasures), but also against prototype pathogens that can be adapted to unknown pathogens of the same family.

The EU council gave the final approval for stricter air quality laws, marking a pivotal step in the fight against air pollution across Europe. The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive aligns EU standards more closely with WHO´s stricter guidelines. ISGlobal, alongside other European partners, actively engaged with policy makers for the revision and approval process. These new directives will translate into improved health outcomes for all Europeans, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.

The EU gave a big step towards the 30x30 agreement signed at the UN last year, which aims to protect 30% of oceans and land by 2030. Portugal led the way, by designating 15% of the Azores’ waters as fully protected and a further 15% as highly protected, creating the largest Marine Protected Area network in Europe. Meanwhile, Chile and Palau became the first two countries to ratify a landmark UN treaty for the protection of the high seas. Signed by 80 countries but not yet fully ratified, the treaty would become the world’s first international law for protecting marine life in areas beyond national jurisdictions. Currently, only around 1% of high sea waters are protected from activities such as deep-sea mining and overfishing. 

These milestones remind us that meaningful progress is possible—even in the most challenging years. May 2025 bring more.