The world’s leading causes of death have shifted dramatically from infectious to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the past three decades, according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study launched at the ongoing World Health Summit in Berlin. New data reveal that female mortality among young women (15–29) in the region is 61 per cent higher than earlier estimates. Despite progress against child deaths, older children and adolescents remain “a forgotten crisis,” warned Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta of Aga Khan University. With donor funding declining, governments must expand national health budgets and spend more efficiently, prioritising programmes for women and youth. Mental health and gender-based violence must move to the centre of public health strategies.