World Health Day 2025

World Health Day, celebrated today, kicks off a year-long campaign focusing around maternal and newborn health. 

This year's campaign, led by WHO, is titled “healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”. The campaign urges health communities and governing bodies to ramp up efforts in order to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s long term mental health. 

The campaign seeks to raise awareness about maternal and newborn health issues, increase available healthcare services during pregnancy and postnatal times and to pool resources to help fund specialized care for preterm infants. 

There are 3 key messages featured in this year’s campaign.

These are:

Empowering Women - Better maternal health means improving the rights of women and girls so that they can both protect their health and obtain vital healthcare services

Beyond Survival - Women and families everywhere require high quality care that supports them both physically and emotionally, before and after a birth.

Ending Preventable Deaths - Health systems need to evolve and grow to manage the many health issues that can impact maternal and newborn health, especially in the poorest countries, and fragile settings where the most maternal and newborn deaths occur. 

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There are lots of ways that you can get involved and support efforts to improve maternal health. You can spread awareness about the campaign, participate in local fundraising events and donate to charities who support newborns and mothers.

More information, along with a toolkit and other digital resources can be accessed by everyone on the WHO website to help raise awareness

If you know someone who is pregnant, or has a new baby, there are plenty of ways that you can lean in and support them, too. Check in with them, be there for them if need be and offer emotional support and understanding. 

This year, as the world rallies around the theme of “healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”, we are reminded that health equity starts from the very first breath. Let’s celebrate today by taking meaningful action toward a healthier, fairer world for all.