We tackle the world’s leading drivers of death and disease so that people, communities and countries can thrive and everyone can enjoy longer, more vital lives.

Brazil’s National Congress delivered a transformative victory for public health in 2024: a landmark tax reform that set the stage for a special tax on products that fuel the country’s growing burden of NCDs. After decades of political logjam, this breakthrough marks a pivotal step toward protecting families and communities from preventable illness and premature death. The reforms also promote healthier eating and strengthen Brazil’s agricultural sector by exempting minimally processed foods.

Vital Strategies has been working in Brazil since 2009, supporting partners in building healthy public policy solutions—including to reduce consumption of tobacco, ultra-processed foods and alcohol—and leveraging strategic communication to set the policy agenda, change behaviors and social norms, and strengthen public and policymaker support. Going forward, we are supporting partners so the tax rates are set at levels proven to maximize health outcomes by reducing consumption of unhealthy products, with a particular focus on shielding youth from lifelong harm. Together, we are turning bold policy into lasting progress.

The health impacts related to climate change, from rising temperatures to worsening air quality, are undeniable. In response, Vital Strategies has partnered with the climate leadership group C40 Cities, Clean Air Fund, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch Breathe Jakarta, a pioneering program to improve air quality and combat climate change in the Indonesian metropolis of over 10 million people. The initiative weaves together local air quality data intelligence and technological interventions, leaning on local leaders to strengthen institutions and find policy solutions to bring about change.

In Marunda, a waterside section of Jakarta teeming with factories and ports, even tightly shut windows can’t keep pollution out. Breathe Jakarta has installed air monitoring stations throughout the city to help residents and authorities track air pollution exposure and address leading sources of pollutants.

As Breathe Jakarta rolls out its air quality initiatives, it is also keen to share these lessons with other cities near and far, with the goal of fostering a global movement toward cleaner air and healthier cities.

Since 2016, Vital Strategies has partnered with the government of Rwanda to modernize the country’s civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system—transforming how births and deaths are recorded so no one is left out. Where once families had to travel long distances just to register a birth or death, Rwanda now boasts a decentralized, digitalized system with thousands of registration points. What was once an administrative burden is now a routine part of life.

But CRVS is about more than numbers—it’s the foundation of equitable health and rights. The system now seamlessly connects with hospitals, government agencies, and businesses to enable access to some 200 essential services.

For example, in a groundbreaking step toward gender equity, Rwanda’s digitized system automatically lists both spouses as co-owners of land upon marriage registration, strengthening women’s property rights in a way that few systems worldwide allow. These ripple effects of #CountingEveryone are both lifesaving and life expanding.

In Bangkok, a bustling city awash with cars, motorcycles, buses and famous three-wheeled tuk-tuks, many residents have shied away from walking because of its dangers. In 2023 alone, road traffic crashes claimed over 860 lives and caused more than 136,000 injuries. For many residents, especially the elderly in historic neighborhoods like Bamrung Mueang, simply walking to the market or a friend’s house carries risk.

Bangkok’s local government, alongside the Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute and with support from the Partnership for Healthy Cities, implemented a safe and active mobility project in Bamrung Mueang. Focusing on six of the neighborhood’s most heavily used streets, the initiative had a clear objective: Create safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists.

Working with the local community, the project expanded sidewalk space by nearly 50%, easing traffic and making room for people, not just vehicles. Early indicators showed that vehicle speeds have slowed, traffic volume has decreased, and cycling rates are rising. City officials are now analyzing this data to see how it might inform a scale-up of this model throughout this neighborhood and beyond.

This initiative, which builds on a long-term investment in road safety in the city, is more than an infrastructure upgrade—it’s part of a global movement to prevent injuries, prioritize pedestrians, and reshape cities around people, not cars.