The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.

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, close to 300 000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over 2 million babies die in their first month of life and millions 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 global targets for improving maternal survival by 2030.

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.

Additionally, women and families should be supported by laws and policies that safeguard their health and rights.

Campaign goals

• To raise awareness about gaps in maternal and newborn survival and the need to prioritize women’s longer-term well-being.
• To advocate for effective investments that improve the health of women and babies. 
• To encourage collective action to support parents as well as health professionals who provide critical care.
• To provide useful health information relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
   

Get involved

Here’s what you can do to support the campaign:

• Spread awareness: share information about the campaign using #HopefulFutures and #HealthForAll.
• Participate: attend our global events to learn more about what it will take to end maternal and newborn mortality.
• Donate: contribute to the WHO Foundation which supports WHO’s work to protect mothers and babies in countries around the world.
• Share your lived experiences: share your own experiences or stories of pregnancy and birth and thank those who provide quality care.