World Health Day 2025 marks the launch of a global campaign aimed at improving maternal and newborn health. Under the theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” the year-long initiative will call on governments, health systems, and communities to intensify efforts to end preventable deaths and enhance care for women and babies.
The campaign, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, emphasizes the urgent need for action. Currently, nearly 300,000 women die annually due to pregnancy or childbirth complications. Meanwhile, over 2 million newborns die within their first month of life, and another 2 million are stillborn — a devastating toll that translates to a preventable death every seven seconds.
Projections show that 4 out of 5 countries are not on track to meet global maternal health goals by 2030, with one-third also set to miss targets for reducing newborn mortality.
The campaign outlines several key goals: raising awareness about gaps in maternal and newborn care, advocating for increased investment in healthcare systems, sharing essential information on pregnancy and postpartum care, and supporting health workers and families alike.
Women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable. Other complications may exist before pregnancy but are worsened during pregnancy, especially if not managed as part of the woman’s care. The major complications that account for around 75% of all maternal deaths are:
- severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth)
- infections (usually after childbirth)
- high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)
- complications from delivery
- unsafe abortion.
“Women and babies deserve not just survival, but the chance to thrive,” WHO stated, highlighting the importance of physical and emotional support throughout pregnancy and birth. The campaign also stresses the role of strong policies in safeguarding women’s health and rights.
World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other related organizations. The date of 7 April marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.
WHO chooses an annual theme to raise attention to a specific health topic of concern to people around the world.
Source:WHO
