UN: Why Global Food & Healthcare Targets Are Being Missed

The trade agreement between the European Union and the United States is already forcing healthcare and life sciences companies in Europe to rethink their export strategies. At the heart of the pact lies a 15% tariff on most EU goods entering the US, including pharmaceutical products, which remain Europe’s top export category to the American market. This is reshaping global supply chains and posing immediate financial and operational challenges for healthcare manufacturers across the continent.

Pharmaceutical exports, including generic drugs and biotechnology products, now face fresh price pressures and logistical upheaval as they are pulled into the wider economic and political aims of the deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump unveiled the terms following talks in Scotland, presenting the pact as a way to stabilise trade relations - though European industries have been quick to highlight the costs.

He adds: “Child marriage and maternal and child mortality rates have fallen and more young people, especially girls, complete school. 

“Women now hold 27% of parliamentary seats worldwide, up from 22%. 

“Access to electricity and clean cooking has expanded. Internet connectivity has increased by 70%, opening new horizons. 

“Around the world, young people, communities, civil society and local leaders are stepping up their action to deliver on the promise of the SDGs.

“Despite these important gains, conflicts, climate chaos, geopolitical tensions and economic shocks continue to obstruct progress at the pace and scale needed to meet the 2030 target.”

But wider development challenges are dragging down health goals.

Hunger is rising again, affecting over 700 million people, while two billion people face some form of food insecurity.

Stunting affects more than 150 million children globally, and progress in reducing this is slowing.

Worsening climate conditions compound health risks.

The report confirms 2024 as the hottest year on record, with CO₂ levels now the highest in over two million years.

Heat extremes, water stress and biodiversity loss all increase the burden on healthcare systems.

Health access gaps and data challenges

A critical barrier to improving health globally is the continued gap in access. More than half the world still lacks any form of social protection, a factor closely tied to health outcomes.

Around 1.8 billion people remain without access to clean cooking methods, which contributes to household air pollution and respiratory illness and major health threats in lower-income countries.

Electricity access has improved, reaching 92% and renewable sources now provide 30% of global electricity.

But 645 million people are still projected to be without electricity in 2030 if current trends persist, limiting access to healthcare technology, refrigeration for vaccines and digital services.

A fragile global data infrastructure is also hampering the ability to measure and manage public health.

The report highlights that only 70% of SDG indicators have sufficient data coverage. Funding for data remains unreliable and inconsistent.

The sudden suspension of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme by USAID has disrupted reporting on 39 key SDG indicators, including those for health, hunger and gender equality.

The 2024 Medellín Framework for Action calls for robust, inclusive data systems, but without major investment, this cannot be achieved.

“This report tells a story of remarkable human resilience and ingenuity,” writes Li Junhua, Under Secretary-General for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in the report.

“We have witnessed great achievements that demonstrate what is possible when the international community acts with purpose and solidarity. 

“New HIV infections have declined by 39% since 2010. 

“Malaria prevention efforts have averted 2.2 billion cases and saved 12.7 million lives since 2000. 

“Since 2015, 110 million more children and youth have entered school, with completion rates rising at all levels and the gender gap in education continuing to narrow.”

Slow overall SDG progress and rising inequality

The UN’s assessment of 139 SDG targets reveals only 35% are on track or making moderate progress.

Almost half show insufficient movement and 18% are now below 2015 levels.

Progress on poverty, hunger, inequality, health and climate are described as especially vulnerable.

Poverty affects 808 million people, with new metrics setting the extreme poverty line at US$3 per day.

Meanwhile, GDP per capita growth is forecast to slow to just 1.5% in 2025.

In Least Developed Countries (LDCs), this is far short of the 7% annual growth target.

Development spending is also under threat, with global debt servicing costs hitting a record $1.4tn.

The US government expects to collect roughly US$90bn annually through the new tariffs. For EU leaders, the deal is being presented as a necessary compromise to avoid a deeper trade war. Yet critics argue that the health and industrial sectors are being sacrificed to achieve this outcome.

Analysts at the European Central Bank say trade conditions are now "exceptionally uncertain," and note that long-term planning across industries will become more difficult. For the life sciences and healthcare sectors, which rely on stable global supply chains and predictable regulation, these trade terms create more volatility and less room for strategic forecasting.

As policymakers weigh the longer-term impact of the deal, its immediate effects are already being felt in earnings reports and pricing models across Europe. Whether the pact results in stable relations or further economic tension remains unclear.