Health for all in the 21st century.

This article introduces an issue of World Health Statistics Quarterly that summarizes the activities of working groups charged by the World Health Organization (WHO) with suggesting actions for a new holistic global health policy for the 21st century. After a brief introduction, the article describes implementation of the global consultative process to develop the new policy and highlights 10 selected regional and global milestones. The article then 1) identifies the interlinked values that provide the basis for the policy, 2) discusses the two major policy objectives of making health central to human development and building sustainable health systems, and 3) considers aspects important to the selection of disease- and intervention-specific priorities for action. Next, the article presents the 10 global health targets and concludes by noting that achieving health for all will depend upon creation of a wide array of partnerships as well as the taking of decisive actions by the WHO and governments.