2023 was a year full of milestones and challenges in global public health.

In May, I declared the end of COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern.

After three years of crisis, pain and loss for people around the world, this marked a turning point for the world.

I’m glad to see that life has returned to normal.

The WHO also announced that the Mpox outbreak no longer constitutes a global health emergency.

And we have approved new vaccines against malaria, dengue and meningitis, diseases that threaten millions of people around the world, especially the most vulnerable.

Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Belize have been declared malaria-free, and a number of neglected tropical diseases have been eradicated in several countries, including sleeping sickness in Ghana, trachoma in Benin, Mali and Iraq, and lymphatic filariasis in Bangladesh and Laos.

The road to eradicating another vaccine-preventable disease – polio – has reached its final mile.

Thirty more countries have introduced the HPV vaccine as the world makes progress toward eliminating cervical cancer.

The need to address the health impacts of the climate crisis was highlighted at the highest political levels, with governments, scientists and advocates putting health at the top of the COP28 agenda for the first time and issuing a global declaration on climate and health.

Heads of state pledged at the United Nations General Assembly to advance universal health coverage, eradicate tuberculosis and protect the world from future pandemics.

Each of these achievements and many more demonstrated the power of science, solutions and solidarity to protect and promote health.

But 2023 was also a year of immense and avoidable suffering and health threats.

Hamas’s barbaric attacks on Israel on October 7 left around 1,200 people dead and more than 200 taken hostage. Reports of gender-based violence and mistreatment of hostages are deplorable.

This was followed by a devastating attack on Gaza that killed more than 21,000 people – mostly women and children – and injured over 55,000.

At the same time, hospitals and health workers have been repeatedly attacked, while relief efforts have not come close to meeting people’s needs.

As of December 22, only nine of Gaza’s 36 health facilities were partially functioning, with only four in the north offering the most basic services.

For this reason, we once again call for an immediate ceasefire.

War and armed hostilities have unfortunately plagued too many other places around the world, including Sudan, Ukraine, Ethiopia and Myanmar, to name a few.

I saw firsthand the suffering of the war-weary people of northwest Syria, who, like communities I visited in neighboring Türkiye, were devastated by the terrible earthquake in February.

Without peace there is no health, and without health there can be no peace.

Insecurity, poverty and lack of access to clean water and hygiene led to the spread of infectious diseases in many countries.

Of particular concern is the resurgence of cholera, with a record number of over 40 outbreaks worldwide.

And when it comes to emergency preparedness and response, gaps remain in global preparedness to prevent the next pandemic.

But 2024 presents a unique opportunity to close these gaps.

Governments are negotiating the first global agreement to protect communities, countries and the world from the threat of pandemics.

The pandemic agreement aims to close the gaps in global cooperation, cooperation and justice.

The agreement and plans to strengthen the International Health Regulations represent monumental actions by governments to create a safer and healthier world.

And as WHO completes our 75th year as a “global” health organization, I would like to express my sincere thanks to health workers, partners and WHO colleagues as we work together to achieve “health for all.”

Finally, this holiday season, I am sure everyone will join in my hope that the New Year will bring peace, health and prosperity to all people around the world.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.