World Health Day 2025: Empowering Mothers, Nurturing Newborns

World Health Day 2025 highlights maternal and newborn health, underscoring its role in shaping future generations. WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Saima Wazed calls for global commitment and resource allocation to improve health outcomes and emphasizes prioritizing universal healthcare access to ensure healthier futures.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is dedicating World Health Day 2025 to the critical topics of maternal and newborn health. Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, highlighted the organization's storied history, tracing back to its conceptualization in April 1945 during a pivotal United Nations meeting in San Francisco.

On World Health Day, Wazed emphasized how the day's theme, 'Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,' signifies the enduring importance of maternal and newborn health. She noted the WHO's impressive record in reducing maternal and child mortality rates in the region, despite uneven progress across different countries.

Wazed pointed out the continued challenges, including persistently high numbers of preventable maternal and newborn deaths, urging a coordinated effort to improve healthcare access. She reiterated the necessity of universal health coverage and urged both global and local stakeholders to recommit resources to this vital cause.