World Health Report

The World Health Report (WHR) is a series of reports produced regularly by the World Health Organization (WHO). First published in 1995, the World Health Report is WHO's leading publication. Published annually or biennially in multiple languages, each report includes an expert assessment of a specific global health 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 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.

Each WHR addresses a different theme. The following is a list of reports and themes.

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 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, 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.

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.

The theme of the World Health Report 2008 was the renewal of primary health care, and the need for health systems to respond better and faster to the health care challenges of a changing world.