Spread awareness
Share information about the campaign using #HopefulFutures and #HealthForAll.
World Health Day 2025
Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures
World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April 2025, will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign, titled Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.
WHO and partners will also share useful information to support healthy pregnancies and births, and better postnatal health.
Helping every woman and baby survive and thrive
This task is critical. Tragically, based on currently published estimates, 260 000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over 2 million babies die in their first month of life and around 2 million more are stillborn. That’s roughly 1 preventable death every 7 seconds.
Based on current trends, a staggering 4 out of 5 countries are off track to meet targets for improving maternal survival by 2030. 1 in 3 will fail to meet targets for reducing newborn deaths.
Listening to women and supporting families
Women and families everywhere need high quality care that supports them physically and emotionally, before, during and after birth.
Health systems must evolve to manage the many health issues that impact maternal and newborn health. These not only include direct obstetric complications but also mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases and family planning.
The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.
Get involved to support the campaign
Participate
Attend our global events to learn more about what it will take to end maternal and newborn mortality.
Donate
Join the #OneWorldMovement and support WHO’s work to protect mothers and babies around the world.
Share personal experiences
Share your own experiences or stories of pregnancy and birth and thank those who provide quality care.
Key messages
WHO is calling for a worldwide reinvigoration of efforts to ensure access to high quality care for women and babies. Women everywhere need access to health providers who listen to their concerns and meet their needs, so that they can plan their lives and protect their health.
Campaign assets
The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all. WHO has prepared a range of campaign assets for different channels to help disseminate messages promoting maternal and newborn health.
Communications toolkit
Alongside advocating for actions that improve survival, in this year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health, WHO and partners will work with mothers and health-care professionals to share useful information about healthy pregnancies, births, and postnatal health.
Campaign goals
Awareness raising
To raise awareness about gaps in maternal and newborn survival and the need to prioritize women’s longer-term well-being.
Effective investment
To advocate for effective investments that improve the health of women and babies.
Encourage support
To encourage collective action to support parents as well as health professionals who provide critical care.
Provide information
To provide useful health information relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
Maternal and newborn health
WHO Nepal/B.Rai
A baby at the premises of the Family Planning Association of Nepal at Surkhet, Karnali Province, Nepal
A baby at the premises of the Family Planning Association of Nepal at Surkhet, Karnali Province, Nepal
©
Credits
/countries/samoa/20250401-dscf2742_1920px.jpg?sfvrsn=dd6cf1fe_5 "Male midwife helping in delivery at Lufilufi Health Centre, Samoa")
/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-health-ageing-(mca)/maternal-health-(mah)/administering-a-tetanus-diptheria-vaccine.jpg?sfvrsn=e76a6a66_3 "Administering a tetanus-diptheria injection")
