Even as global health funding takes a hit, breakthroughs in vaccines and treatments for cancer, malaria, HIV, measles and TB are quietly changing lives across the world.
Updated: December 23, 2025 5:20 PM IST
This year has not been an easy one for global health. With major humanitarian funding cuts by the US and other countries, including the UK, headlines have often painted a bleak picture. Clinics struggling for money, shortages of medicines, and growing health gaps between rich and poor nations have dominated conversations.
But beyond the grim news, something important has been happening: science has been moving forward. Quietly but steadily, researchers, doctors and health workers have delivered breakthroughs that could save millions of lives in the years to come.
How were millions of girls protected from cervical cancer?
One of the biggest wins came in the fight against cervical cancer. A global target to protect 86 million girls by the end of 2025 was achieved ahead of schedule. This milestone has raised real hope that cervical cancer could one day be eliminated.
Gavi, the vaccine alliance, launched its HPV vaccination programme in 2014, when coverage in Africa stood at just 4%. Progress was slow for years, reaching only 15% by 2022. Then came a game-changing discovery: one dose of the HPV vaccine worked almost as well as two. This made it easier to deliver vaccines and doubled the reach of existing supplies.
By the end of 2024, HPV vaccine coverage in Africa rose to 44%, even higher than Europe’s 38%. Gavi’s CEO, Dr Sania Nishtar, credited countries, communities and partners for pushing this success forward.
Since cervical cancer kills one woman every two minutes, with 85% of cases in sub-Saharan Africa, this achievement matters deeply. Experts estimate these vaccinations will prevent around 1.4 million deaths.
Why is the new malaria treatment such a big deal?
For the first time in decades, a brand-new type of malaria treatment is close to approval. The drug, called GanLum and developed by Novartis, showed a cure rate of over 99% in trials, beating current treatments.
More importantly, it works against malaria strains that have started resisting older drugs. Doctors say this is critical, as drug resistance once caused millions of deaths in the 1990s. Researchers also believe GanLum could help slow the spread of malaria itself.
Experts have described the drug as a long-awaited safety net, something the world desperately needs.
Which countries have eliminated measles?
At a time when measles cases are rising globally, some countries achieved remarkable success. Cape Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles became the first sub-Saharan African nations to officially eliminate measles and rubella.
This happened even as the world saw an estimated 11 million measles infections in 2024. The achievement shows what’s possible when vaccination is treated as a priority.
In total, 21 Pacific island nations also eliminated measles and rubella this year. Globally, measles deaths have dropped by 88% since 2000, saving nearly 59 million lives.
Can a new drug change the fight against HIV?
A new HIV-prevention drug, lenacapavir, has been called a potential game-changer. Given as an injection just twice a year, it can almost completely prevent HIV infection.
Approved in the US in June and recommended by the WHO in July, the drug reached sub-Saharan Africa within months, far faster than past treatments. Cheaper versions will be produced for 120 countries, costing about $40 per year per patient.
The first shipments have already arrived in parts of Africa, with wider rollout expected by 2026.
Is there real progress against TB?
Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, but progress is finally speeding up. Four vaccines are in late testing, new easy tests are improving detection, and a new antibiotic, sorfequiline, has shown stronger results than current drugs.
This could shorten treatment times even further, bringing the world closer to controlling a disease that has killed over a billion people since it was identified.
Despite funding struggles, science is pushing forward. And in a difficult year, these breakthroughs offer something rare and powerful: hope.
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