"The Global status report on road safety 2015, reflecting information from 180 countries, indicates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths has plateaued at 1.25 million per year, with the highest road traffic fatality rates in low-income countries. In the last three years, 17 countries have aligned at least one of their laws with best practice on seat-belts, drink-driving, speed, motorcycle helmets or child restraints. While there has been progress towards improving road safety legislation and in making vehicles safer, the report shows that the pace of change is too slow. Urgent action is needed to achieve the ambitious target for road safety reflected in the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2020. Made possible through funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, this report is the third in the series, and provides a snapshot of the road safety situation globally, highlighting the gaps and the measures needed to best drive progress."--Publisher's description.

Dementia is a leading cause of disability and dependency globally. It is a syndrome, usually of a chronic or progressive nature, that leads to deterioration in cognitive function (i.e. ability to process thought) beyond what would be expected from normal ageing. Dementia can be overwhelming not only for the person who has it, but also for carers, families and society as a whole. Globally, a lack of awareness and understanding of dementia continues to lead to widespread stigmatization and discrimination, which may prevent people from accessing diagnosis and care. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long recognized the importance of addressing dementia and the need for increased investments in health and social care systems. The First Ministerial Conference on Global Action Against Dementia was held in March 2015, convening health ministers and delegations from 89 countries around the world to discuss comprehensive actions to address dementia. Two years later, WHO Member States unanimously approved the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017–2025. Further, WHO’s Global Dementia Observatory (GDO) was established to monitor global progress on key targets and indicators within these action areas.