For 2025, World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen the theme "#Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," emphasizing the vital importance of maternal and newborn health in laying the foundation for a healthy future.
This theme serves as a powerful reminder of the profound impact that a healthy start in life can have on a child’s development, well-being, and future health. As a specialist pediatrician with over 35 years of experience, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of early healthcare interventions. Maternal and newborn well-being should be prioritized as the cornerstone of a thriving population, ensuring that every child is given the best possible chance to lead a healthy, productive life.
Significance of World Health Day 2025 Theme
The theme for World Health Day 2025 highlights two critical areas: the health of mothers and newborns. These are the building blocks for future generations. Healthy beginnings begin with healthy pregnancies, optimal prenatal care, and proper attention to the physical and emotional needs of mothers. The first few days, weeks, and months of life are the most crucial for the development of a newborn, as this is when they are most vulnerable to infections, malnutrition, and developmental delays.
The well-being of mothers during pregnancy and childbirth directly affects the health of the baby. WHO’s decision to focus on this connection underscores the importance of quality maternal healthcare. The theme also encourages governments, healthcare systems, and individuals to invest in maternal health, as it ultimately paves the way for better child health outcomes.
Maternal Health: The Foundation of Healthy Beginnings
Maternal health encompasses the physical, mental, and social well-being of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The health of the mother is intricately linked to the health of the child, as a mother’s nutrition, lifestyle, access to healthcare, and mental health can directly impact pregnancy outcomes.
Several factors contribute to maternal health, and ensuring proper care can prevent complications. These include:
- Prenatal Care: Routine prenatal visits help monitor the health of both the mother and the baby. Essential screening tests, ultrasound, and blood pressure monitoring allow early detection of conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or fetal growth restriction.
- Nutrition: A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, including folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamins, is crucial for both the mother and the growing baby. Proper nutrition reduces the risks of low birth weight, birth defects, and preterm birth.
- Physical Health: Regular exercise, adequate hydration, and maintaining a healthy weight are essential aspects of maternal health. These practices contribute to better circulation, reduced risks of hypertension, and fewer complications during labor.
- Mental Health: Mental well-being plays an integral role in pregnancy. Pregnancy can bring emotional and psychological challenges, including anxiety, depression, or stress. Addressing these concerns through counseling and support is necessary for a healthy mother and child.
- Access to Healthcare: In many parts of the world, access to quality maternal healthcare is limited. Strengthening healthcare systems, ensuring skilled birth attendants, and providing appropriate emergency care are fundamental to improving maternal health outcomes.
Newborn Health: The Critical First 1000 Days
The first 1000 days of life—beginning from conception through to the child’s second birthday—are a critical period for a child’s development. During this window, the child’s brain undergoes rapid growth, and they develop the foundational physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities that will shape their future health and well-being.
The health of a newborn is highly dependent on the care they receive immediately after birth, as well as their environment and nutrition in the first few years.
Essential Aspects of Newborn Care:
- Immediate Care after Birth: The first moments after birth are crucial for a newborn’s survival and health. Immediate skin-to-skin contact with the mother, early initiation of breastfeeding, and keeping the baby warm are fundamental practices that improve newborn survival rates. Ensuring that babies receive the essential vaccinations and tests (such as for jaundice, infections, and congenital conditions) is vital.
- Breastfeeding: WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Breast milk is rich in essential nutrients, antibodies, and growth factors that help protect against infections, allergies, and chronic diseases. Additionally, breastfeeding strengthens the emotional bond between mother and baby and supports optimal brain development.
- Immunizations: Immunizations are one of the most effective tools in preventing life-threatening diseases in newborns. Vaccines protect newborns from conditions like polio, pneumonia, diphtheria, and measles. Timely vaccination is essential for the child’s long-term health.
- Safe Sleep: Newborns require safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related risks. Ensuring babies sleep on their backs, on a firm mattress, without soft bedding, is crucial in preventing sleep-related deaths.
- Nutritional Support and Monitoring: If a mother cannot breastfeed or chooses not to, proper infant formula feeding and ensuring adequate nutrition are necessary for the baby’s growth and immune development. Regular monitoring of weight gain, growth patterns, and developmental milestones ensures that the child is thriving.
Addressing Global Challenges
Despite progress in many countries, significant gaps remain in maternal and newborn health, especially in low- and middle-income nations. Factors such as inadequate healthcare facilities, lack of trained healthcare providers, malnutrition, and poor sanitation contribute to high maternal and neonatal mortality rates.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of these issues, disrupting essential health services, including prenatal care, immunization programs, and newborn health interventions. Therefore, the theme #Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures calls for renewed global commitment to maternal and newborn health, with an emphasis on equitable healthcare access for all.
Governments and organizations need to invest in strengthening healthcare systems, training healthcare professionals, improving infrastructure, and ensuring that maternal and newborn health services are available, accessible, and affordable for every family.
What Can You Do for Maternal and Newborn Well-being?
While the global community works toward enhancing healthcare systems and resources, individual actions can also make a significant difference. Here are a few practical steps:
a) For Expectant Mothers:
- Prioritize prenatal care and attend regular check-ups.
- Follow a balanced diet and avoid harmful substances like tobacco, alcohol, and excessive caffeine.
- Ensure emotional well-being by seeking support when needed and practicing relaxation techniques.
- Educate yourself on childbirth options and emergency procedures.
b) For Families and Communities:
- Encourage and support mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months.
- Provide safe environments for newborns to sleep.
- Ensure vaccination schedules are followed.
- Create awareness about the importance of proper maternal and newborn care.
c) For Healthcare Providers:
- Deliver high-quality, evidence-based care to mothers and newborns.
- Ensure the availability of essential resources like clean birth kits, safe delivery rooms, and neonatal resuscitation training.
- Advocate for policies that promote maternal and newborn health.
Conclusion
World Health Day 2025, with its theme #Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures, calls on the global community to take action in securing better health for mothers and newborns. Ensuring a healthy start for every child is not just a healthcare necessity but a moral imperative. Healthy beginnings pave the way for stronger communities, nations, and futures. By prioritizing maternal and newborn health, we are shaping a world where every child has the opportunity to thrive, grow, and live a fulfilled life.
As pediatricians, healthcare workers, and global citizens, it is our responsibility to collaborate, innovate, and work towards a future where healthy beginnings lead to hopeful futures for all children. Together, we can make the world a healthier place for generations to come.
Dr Ram Sharma. MD
Specialist Pediatrician
Aster Rayyan Medical Centre,Al Rayyan ,Qatar
