WHO marks 25 years of Research4Life access across 120+ countries

Broad summary: WHO's Research4Life anniversary is a science-access story, not just an institutional milestone. The partnership helps researchers, educators, health professionals and policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries read scientific literature that would otherwise remain behind cost barriers. What is confirmed: WHO says the programme now reaches institutions in more than 120 countries and gives more than 12,000 institutions access to a large collection of journals, books and databases. The initiative began in 2001 as a pilot and has grown into a broad public-private partnership. Why it matters: Access to science shapes health systems, universities, clinical decisions and national research capacity. The next challenge is not only reading research, but also helping more researchers publish and participate in the global scientific conversation. Editorial note: This English edition summarizes the WHO release with original attribution and does not add country-level claims beyond the source.