World Health Day-Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: 7th April, 2025

Policy Update
Sanju Joshi

Introduction

Every year on 7th April, global health awareness is propagated in the form of World Health Day. It is one of the 11 official global health campaigns initiated by WHO. The day is recognized by various international governments, non-governmental organizations, and other public health authorities. In 1948, the World Health Assembly, with other related organizations, sat down to acknowledge 7th April as World Health Day.

This event marked the foundation of the World Health Organization (WHO). Since its inception in 1948, the world has celebrated multiple Health Days, focusing on various health aspects, including physical health, mental health, disease control, and health awareness. In 2024, the theme ‘My Health, My Right’ highlighted the importance of access to healthcare, education, information, safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, and freedom from discrimination for everyone and everywhere. The year 2025 is following the theme ‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,’ focusing on preventing maternal and newborn death.

Significance of Global Health

In 2009, J.P. Koplan defined global health as an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasizes transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences; promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care.

Global Healthcare aims to ensure equitable healthcare access for people all across the world. With the global increase in population, the importance of global health has been more crucial than ever. Health concerns have been very persistent across the geography of the world. Diseases like malaria, polio, measles, etc., have challenged major parts of the world over a timeline.

Global health is a multifaceted concept with cultural, economic, environmental, and social factors. Global health concerns include economic and political instability, income and social inequality, lack of education and employment, insufficient food and medicine, climate change and natural disasters, limited access to quality health care, and more. To address these vast challenges, organizations like the WHO, the Global Health Council, FHI 360, CARE International, etc., are actively working.

Theme 2025—Maternal and Newborn Mortality

‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures’ aims to spread maternal and newborn health among governments and health associations around the world. In 2023, 700 women died every day due to preventable causes related to childbirth and pregnancy. Almost 95% of maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries in 2020.

The high number of maternal deaths in particular areas reflects the inequality gap in the world. Women from low- and middle-income countries are more prone to maternal death. Women die as a result of complications in maternal surgeries, severe bleeding, infection, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and unsafe abortions. However, the majority of these cases are preventable. Access to high-quality care during childbirth and avoiding negligence can prevent the majority of these cases.

Not only mother’s health, the ‘World Health Day’ mission 2025 also aims to reduce preventable newborn and stillborn mortality. WHO will highlight the need for an evolving health system to address the concerns related to maternal and newborn deaths. The program will cover not only obstetric issues but also focus on mental health, nutritional health, and the increasing burden of certain diseases during pregnancy.

Financial Support

An investment in healthcare in various countries yields positive results. WHO has been promoting donation in healthcare as an investment rather than a cost. Each dollar donated for women and child care is expected to yield around US$ 9 to $20 in return.

WHO has been supporting 55 countries financially through the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere initiative.
Health education and guidance are being promoted through the 2025 mission related to various aspects of maternal and newborn health through pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
Research and development in the field of medicine have been stressed to avoid unprecedented circumstances in the future.
Efforts are being made to strengthen the role of midwives in establishing the necessary healthcare environment for mothers.

Past Themes and Impacted Areas:

In the past, through World Health Day, awareness related to various major issues has been delivered to the world, highlighting their importance as a significant component of healthcare.

Mental Health Awareness: In 2017, World Health Day promoted the theme ‘Depression: Let’s Talk.’ Its major objective was to raise awareness about depression and encourage individuals to open up and seek help for their mental health struggles. The campaign also targeted social stigmas surrounding mental health issues and promoted greater acceptance and understanding.

Universal Health Coverage: Since its founding, World Health Day has persistently promoted ‘health for all’ and equitable growth of the society. It highlighted the global need for accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all. In 2018 and 2019, World Health Day promoted the theme ‘Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere.’

Environmental and Climate-Related Health: World Health Day theme 2022 ‘Our Planet, Our Health’ was a major initiative promoting sustainable healthtowards promoting sustainable healthcare. This theme is intended to bring global attention towards high-quality, affordable healthcare while minimizing the impact on the environment.
In 2008 the theme for World Health Day was ‘Protecting Health from Climate Change.’ The theme aimed to raise awareness of how changing climatic patterns have been affecting humans’ health.

Health Workforce and Infrastructure: A strong workforce and infrastructure have always been a major component of any functional health system. The theme for 2020 celebrated the importance of healthcare workers and their role in establishing strong health facilities around the world. The theme was named ‘Support Nurses and Midwives.’ It honored the contribution of nurses and midwives, especially during the COVID-19 period.

Conclusion

World Health Day reflects the immense significance of health for human development and societal progress. This day acts as a global call for governments, healthcare institutions, and individuals. It serves as a global platform to raise awareness about pressing health issues. The wide range of themes for World Health Day addresses a diverse aspect of health, ranging from physical to mental health of various age groups.

In a rapidly changing world marked by environmental challenges, emerging diseases, and persistent inequalities, the importance of investing in preventive care, public health infrastructure, mental health support, and health education cannot be overstated. Moreover, global health resilience depends on collaboration, innovation, and sustained political commitment. Let this day remind us that health is not merely a personal matter but a global priority that affects peace, productivity, and prosperity.

The world celebrates World Health Day every year as a reminder of why health is key to a sustainable future.

References

WHO (21 February 2025). World Health Day 2025 to spotlight women and babies’ survival, urging solidarity at a critical moment for global health. Retrieved from: WHO News
WHO (23 February 2023). Trends in maternal mortality from 2000 to 2020: Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and UNDESA/Population Division. Retrieved from: WHO Publications
F. Todd, Department of Global Health (25 September 2019). Six Things You Can Do to Get Involved in Global Health. Retrieved from: University of Washington – Global Health News
WHO. World Health Day Campaigns. Retrieved from: WHO Campaigns