. . . as nearly 300 000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth globally per year
World Health Day 2025 will focus on improving maternal and newborn health, urging global investment in life-saving interventions to reduce preventable deaths.
The day is observed annually on 7 April, with this year’s theme being ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures’.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a global campaign urging governments, donors and health professionals to prioritise investment in life-saving interventions and quality healthcare for women and babies.
The theme comes at a time when setbacks in humanitarian assistance and healthcare funding threaten progress in maternal and newborn survival.
According to the WHO, nearly 300 000 women die due to pregnancy or childbirth complications every year, and more than two million newborns do not survive their first month.
Another two million babies are stillborn annually. The WHO estimates that a preventable death occurs every seven seconds, devastating families and communities worldwide.
The organisation says maternal and newborn mortality is disproportionately high in low-income countries, conflict zones, and regions where healthcare infrastructure is weak.
Many of these deaths occur during childbirth or soon after, making access to quality healthcare facilities, emergency obstetric care, and neonatal services vital.
Current trends, however, show that four out of five countries are off track in meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal targets for maternal survival by 2030.
Additionally, one in three countries is unlikely to achieve reductions in newborn deaths. Funding shortages have stalled essential health programmes and medical research, increasing the risk for millions of pregnant women and infants.
To address this, the WHO is advocating for increased investment in high-impact interventions, including antenatal care to detect complications early, emergency obstetric services for life-threatening childbirth situations, and specialised care for premature and low-birth-weight babies.
PRETERM BIRTH ISSUES BIGGEST THREAT
Complications from preterm births are the leading cause of death in children under five.
Beyond survival, the WHO stresses the importance of long-term well-being for women. This includes policies that support paid maternity leave, protect women’s reproductive rights, and improve family planning services.
“Women should not just survive childbirth but thrive in good health,” says WHO director for sexual and reproductive health and research Dr Pascale Allotey.
“Health providers must listen to women, respect their rights, and provide quality care.”
MATERNAL AND NEWBORN HEALTH IN NAMIBIA
Namibia has made notable progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past two decades. The maternal mortality rate decreased from 450 deaths per 100 000 deliveries in 2000 to 215 deaths per 100 000 in 2020.
However, to meet the global 2030 target of less than 70 deaths per 100 000 deliveries, more efforts are needed.
Namibia conducted a WHO-supported assessment on the quality of maternal and child healthcare services in select health facilities in the Erongo and Khomas regions in 2024.
This assessment, part of the WHO’s broader Quality of Care Network, evaluated the country’s strategies for ensuring safe pregnancy and childbirth.
According to the WHO, Namibia was one of the countries in the WHO African Region (Afro) to conduct an assessment on the quality of care for maternal and child health in health facilities.
The WHO’s vision for quality care is for every pregnant woman and newborn to receive quality of care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
“The assessment that was conducted in March 2024 was supported by Afro and aimed to determine the approaches countries employ and document lessons on institutionalising quality care for pregnant women and their newborns.
In pursuit of improving the quality of maternal and child health, the WHO spearheaded the Quality of Care Network in 2017 to reduce maternal, stillbirths, and newborn deaths by 50% by the end of the five years and improve the experience of care for mothers and newborns by 2022.
The network consisted of 10 countries: Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Tanzania.
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