In a year characterized by armed conflicts, political polarization, and an economy that seems to favor only the wealthiest, it is not easy to look to the arrival of 2026 with hope.

But, amidst what seems to be a sea of ??negative news, there are several reasons to be optimistic.

At BBC Mundo, we present five of them, which remind us of the progress that has been made for decades in different fields.

1. The number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen remarkably. From 1990 to 2025, the total number of people worldwide living in extreme poverty decreased from 2.3 billion to 831 million, according to the World Bank Group. “These figures mean that approximately 1.469 billion people have escaped this situation, especially between 1990 and 2010, when the global proportion fell from 47% to 10%,” Jose Manuel Corrales, Professor of Economics, Business, and International Relations at the European University, told BBC Mundo. This impressive decline is largely the result of the widespread growth experienced in East and South Asia. And more specifically, two countries: China and India, where—the professor indicates—inclusive growth was driven by economic liberalization and the implementation of market reforms. “Also decisive were the Formal employment, investments in infrastructure, education, health, and social protection systems,” he asserts.

Although these figures confirm significant progress in the fight against poverty and inspire optimism, we cannot lose sight of the 831 million people, 1 in 10, who live on less than US$3 a day.

Is there a hopeful element for helping them escape poverty?

“Yes, there are encouraging signs,” Corrales points out. “More than half of the world’s population now receives some form of social protection, and proposals like the UN’s prosperity floors seek adaptive systems that allow millions to escape poverty and withstand crises.”

For the professor,As many experts agree, investment in education and health systems is fundamental for the number of people living in extreme poverty to continue falling.

And it is crucial to focus on the most affected areas: “Sub-Saharan Africa and fragile countries, where more than 75% of people living in extreme poverty are concentrated.”

Public policies that promote not only sustained growth, but also a green economy, human rights, and social equity are fundamental, she says. Otherwise, “poverty could stagnate.”

“Economic growth alone is not enough: strong social protection and comprehensive strategies are needed to eradicate extreme poverty.”

Although Corrales acknowledges the remarkable drop in the global percentage of people living in extreme poverty, she warns that “the pace has slowed and, according to projections, could stall or even reverse after 2030.”

2. Scientific Advances Against Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

In 2020, it claimed the lives of nearly 10 million people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite this overwhelming reality, many cancers can be cured if detected early and treated effectively. Even in advanced cases, their progression can be slowed.

Johns Hopkins Hospital, in the United States, and its medical research and training center have more than 125 years of history.

“Imagine a world without cancer.”

That's the first sentence that appears when you enter the website of their cancer center, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. In one of its articles on immunotherapy and precision medicine, the organization offers a message of hope: “Fortunately, in these times of medical advances and innovation, cancer is no longer a certain death sentence.” Dr. Dani Skirrow, one of the spokespeople for the research department of Cancer Research London, whose origins date back to 1902, agrees with this idea. While she offers statistics focused on the United Kingdom, where the cancer survival rate has doubled in 50 years—meaning that 2 out of 4 people with cancer are expected to survive 10 years or more after their diagnosis—her experience in that country also inspires optimism. “There are many ways to treat cancer, and if it can be detected in its earliest stages, treatments are easier to administer before it becomes too advanced.” "Expand. Detecting it early gives them a greater chance of success," the expert tells BBC Mundo. While lifestyle is fundamental—such as avoiding tobacco, eating a balanced diet, staying active,Among other factors, there are currently promising medical interventions. For example, Skirrow indicates, there is the development of vaccines that could be given to people at high risk of developing certain types of cancer to prevent them from developing them. This involves teaching the immune system to recognize cells that could become cancerous in the future, but are not yet. “The immune system will detect them, chase them down, and eliminate them from the body before they have a chance to develop into cancer,” she explains. According to the doctor, cancer treatments now tend to be more precise and personalized than before. “Years ago, treatments basically tried to eliminate the rapidly growing cancer cells, but that could result in various side effects.” “Now we know much more about cancer. We can see details of specific cells, pathways, and biological processes that these cancer cells undertake to grow, something that doesn't happen in other cells.” healthy. With that information, we can create very specific drugs to block it.”

According to the specialist, these types of precision therapies can be more effective, work for longer, and cause fewer side effects.

Early detection is key, and innovative methods are being developed to be less invasive.

At Cancer Research, the expert explains, researchers are working on creating lollipops to detect oral cancer, breath tests to help detect stomach cancer, and urine tests to detect lung cancer.

Another reason to feel optimistic is the technological advancement in the medical field.

And that's where many experts find an ally in artificial intelligence and the variety of tools offered by computer science, not only to quickly collect and process immense amounts of information from each patient, but also to analyze it in detail and make projections.

Despite the extraordinary advances in developed countries, the WHO warns about the great inequalities that exist in the world in the face of cancer.

In lower-income countries, many people do not have access to even the most basic care for the disease.

In 2024, that organization cited a survey conducted in 115 countries that showed that most “do not adequately fund priority cancer care services,” nor palliative care.

“Where a person lives should not be a determining factor,” says Cary Adams, director of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

“There are tools that allow governments to prioritize cancer care and ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality services. It’s not just a matter of resources, but of political will.”

3. More children are surviving today than ever before

One of the greatest health achievements of recent decades has been the impressive reduction in child mortality.

A historic milestone was already reached in 2022, when child deaths fell below 5 million, an unprecedented figure, according to UNICEF.

You only have to go back to 1990 to see the extraordinary progress.

That year, 1 in 11 children died before the age of five, compared to 1 in 27 in 2023. In March, UNICEF noted that the number of children worldwide dying before the age of five was at a historic low. Since 2000, the global under-five mortality rate has fallen by 52%. In Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia, and Rwanda, that rate has even decreased by more than 75%. In 2022, an estimated 152,000 children under five died in Latin America and the Caribbean, representing a 60% reduction since 2000. Behind these numbers are not only a series of measures that have proven effective and affordable, but also midwives and health workers who have supported families in different parts of the world.

One of these measures—according to UNICEF, as well as many specialists—is vaccination.

“It wasn't until the late 1970s and early 1980s that immunization programs began to include vaccines against the leading causes of death in these age groups, such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, rubella, and meningitis,” Francisco Jose Martin Gomez, a pediatric cardiologist and researcher at the European University, tells BBC Mundo from Spain.

Another key factor has been the improvement, in many countries, in medical follow-up for mothers during pregnancy and for newborns in their first days and years.

With more checkups, there is a greater likelihood of detecting problems, such as complex congenital heart defects, and implementing treatments.

“Even the early detection of congenital metabolic disorders, which in most cases tend to have a Relatively simple treatment, with a feeding and supplement regimen for the child, has greatly improved.”

In several countries, access to neonatal intensive care units and antibiotics, as well as to quality water and better nutrition, is much greater than in past decades.

This is coupled with an increase in scientific knowledge and technological development in the field of medicine.

However, despite the hopeful figures and positive progress, the UN warned in March that 4.8 million children died before the age of 5 somewhere in the world in 2023.

According to experts, many of these deaths were mainly due to preventable and treatable causes, such as pneumonia and diarrhea, among others.

“We cannot ignore our brothers and sisters who live in conditions of inequality, such as in some countries in Africa or Asia, where the risk of dying before the age of 5 is up to 14 times higher than in high-income countries,” says Gomez.

“Most of the deaths are concentrated in a few countries with extreme poverty and armed conflict, and we must show solidarity in this regard and do our part. We should be proud of what we have achieved, but also to lend a hand to those countries,” the doctor adds.

Humanitarian organizations and experts have warned about the devastating impact that the cuts in international aid announced by some of the main donor countries could have.

One of them is the Gates Foundation, which, on December 4, published its annual Goalkeepers report, in which it warns that “2025 will be the first year of this century in which child deaths will increase again.”

According to the president of that philanthropic organization, Bill Gates, while in 2024 4.6 million children died before reaching the age of 5, in 2025, that figure is projected to reach an estimated total of 4.8 million.

It is vital, he says, that funding for children's health be increased throughout the planet.

4. The rise of renewable energy seems unstoppable.

“Renewable energy continues its rapid expansion around the world,” notes the World Energy Outlook 2025 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

This is good news amid global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, key to combating climate change and preventing extreme weather events, such as those that have affected millions of people in recent years.

In a world that remains “energy-hungry,” new technologies continue to be adopted at a rapid pace.

“Renewable energy broke new deployment records in 2024 for the twenty-third consecutive year,” the report states.

It is encouraging to see that alternatives to reduce emissions are not only widely known, but also, in many cases,profitable.

Many governments, organizations, and companies have already incorporated the need to explore energy supply options into their management.

In fact, in the first half of 2025, wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources surpassed coal as the world's leading source of electricity, according to the global energy think tank Ember.

Although the pace of adoption varies by location, renewable energy, especially solar photovoltaics, “is growing faster than any other energy source,” says the IEA.

However, the organization acknowledges that “national and international measures to reduce emissions have lost momentum.”

And that is worrying given the increasing climate risks.

The year 2024 went down in history as the hottest on record and the first in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above baseline levels. pre-industrial.

Now 2025 seems to be bidding farewell with a clear message: we know how to mitigate the most serious risks of climate change, let's renew our commitment to combat them.

5. Girls are no longer lagging behind in schools

“Around the world, girls have overtaken boys in school enrollment and completion rates,” notes the UN Women report “Gender Panorama 2025.”

Back in 2024, the World Bank Group highlighted what it considered one of the most inspiring development achievements of the past 50 years: progress in education worldwide.

“Girls, who historically had very low levels of schooling and consistently lagged behind boys, are now receiving an education at much higher rates than at any other time in history.”

According to that organization, in recent decades there has been steady progress toward gender parity in school enrollment, in both primary and secondary education.

However, global parity rates “mask” differences between geographic regions, a phenomenon that has also been noted UN Women.

“While gender gaps have been overcome at all levels of education worldwide, disparities in upper secondary education still persist worryingly in three of eight regions.”

According to this United Nations agency, 119.3 million girls are currently out of school, 124.7 million fewer than in 2015.

Although the fact that more girls are completing their schooling is a hopeful trend,The organization warns that the obstacles to advancement persist for many women. For example, in an analysis that included 70 countries, in 65 of them the likelihood of women becoming teachers was much higher than the likelihood of them becoming secondary school principals. Despite being a field dominated by women, few manage to assume leadership positions. UN Women also raises the devastating effects of poverty on women: in 2025, 9.2% of them will live in extreme poverty. “Education can open doors, but child marriage, FGM (female genital mutilation), violence, and discrimination slam them shut, leaving the glass ceiling intact and excluding women from leadership positions.” 

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