MANILA -- People in the Western Pacific Region live for 77 years on average due to public health investments and innovations over the decades, the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region said on Friday.

On its 75th anniversary, the WHO said people in the Western Pacific region had a life expectancy of between 40 and 50 years when the health agency was created.

"The WHO has been working hand-in-hand with countries and partners to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable so that all people can attain the highest level of health and well-being," WHO Deputy Director-General Zsuzsanna Jakab said.

"Now is the time to celebrate past achievements, build upon them and do more to extend the quality of people's lives across the Western Pacific," Jakab said.

Smallpox and polio were major threats to public health, said WHO Western Pacific Region. However, smallpox was eradicated in 1980, and the region has been free of wild poliovirus transmission since 2000. Malaria deaths in the region have also decreased by 88 percent over decades, it added.

"Today in the region, more mothers and children are surviving and thriving. Nearly all births are supported by skilled health professionals, and life-saving vaccinations now reach 90 percent of children," the WHO said.

Despite significant progress, the goal of "health for all" remains elusive. Life expectancies in some countries in the region are still a decade shorter than the regional average. And too many people still lack access to good-quality health services due to financial burden.

"Yet too many are left behind, and looming threats still challenge decades of health gains," the WHO warned.