The world grows more attuned to the urgency of addressing diseases, mental health challenges, and the undeniable value of preventive care. Every 7th of April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its dedicated partners bear a potent global initiative with World Health Day.
The WHO annually unveils a different theme for World Health Day, drawing attention to a critical health issue that currently demands collective action. The 2025 theme is “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” in hopes of calling on governments, health organisations, and communities to focus on impactful initiatives that prevent avoidable deaths and ensure lasting well-being for mothers and newborns. By contrast, the 2024 theme, “My Health, My Right,” championed individual empowerment, highlighting the fundamental right to health that belongs to all.
The WHO’s official website states that “the health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.”
Thus, raising awareness and ensuring the well-being of women and newborns is both urgent and vital. The WFO further states that nearly 300,000 women lose their lives every year due to pregnancy or childbirth, while over 2 million babies die within their first month of life, and another 2 million are stillborn.
Even more concerning, trends suggest that a staggering 80 per cent of countries are falling short of meeting targets to improve maternal survival by 2030. And one in three nations is on track to miss the goal of reducing newborn deaths.
High-quality, compassionate care that nurtures women’s physical and emotional health before, during, and after childbirth demands to be on the front line. This global initiative advocates for effective investments to improve the health of women and babies across the globe, to mobilise collective action to support both parents and the healthcare professionals providing essential care, as well as to share crucial health information on pregnancy, childbirth, family planning, and the postnatal period, ensuring that families are informed and empowered every step of the way.
Women and families additionally require strong laws and policies in place that protect their health and rights, ensuring they have the support they need throughout this critical journey.
Since its inception in 1950 initiated by the WHO, World Health Day is typically marked by a myriad of campaigns, seminars, and social actions involving healthcare professionals, governments, and the general public. The global community is encouraged to become more aware of the importance of living a healthy life and ensuring equal access to healthcare services.
The WHO, committed to addressing health challenges with an unwavering focus on human welfare—free from political interference—uses this day as a rallying point to direct global attention to vital pressing global health concerns and sparking worldwide awareness.