The COVID-19 pandemic pushed health systems to their limits. As countries scrambled to manage emergency responses, essential services were disrupted, and some of the most foundational areas of healthcare—like maternal and newborn health—were deprioritized. Pregnant women across the world face diminished access to antenatal care, overstretched facilities, and reduced support for safe childbirth and postpartum care. As a result, hard-won gains in maternal and newborn health either stalled or slipped back.
However, the loss of focus on maternal and newborn health began not just with COVID-19. In recent years, a series of complex, overlapping crises have diverted policy attention. The growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, the health consequences of climate change, protracted conflicts, forced displacement, and an increasingly volatile global landscape have shifted global health priorities. While these issues undeniably warrant urgent attention, they have often pushed maternal, child, and newborn health further down the list of priorities in global and national health agendas.
World Health Day 2025, with its theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” marks a critical turning point—a conscious effort to re-center maternal and newborn health in the global health discourse. The World Health Organization’s year-long campaign calls for renewed commitment from governments and the health community to prevent avoidable deaths and prioritize the long-term well-being of women and children.
The need could not be more urgent. Current estimates show that nearly 300,000 women lose their lives each year due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Over 2 million babies die within their first month of life, and an additional 2 million are stillborn. This means one preventable death every seven seconds. Even more concerning is that, based on existing trends, four out of five countries are off track to meet global targets for reducing maternal deaths by 2030, and one in three will fail to meet newborn mortality targets.
In India, the story is mixed. There has been significant progress, with the Maternal Mortality Ratio dropping from 130 in 2014–16 to 97 in 2018–20—a 33-point decline. Over the last 30 years, India’s MMR has dropped by 83%, compared to a global average reduction of 42%. Similarly, the Infant Mortality Rate has fallen from 39 to 28 per 1,000 live births between 2014 and 2020, and the Neonatal Mortality Rate declined from 26 to 20. These are encouraging figures, yet they mask persistent disparities and systemic fragilities that were exposed and exacerbated during the pandemic.
What we now require is not just recovery—but transformation. Maternal and newborn health is not a vertical issue. It is deeply embedded within the broader health system, dependent on skilled and supported frontline workers, robust supply chains, reliable digital infrastructure, integrated care pathways, and responsive governance. A true transformation will require a systems approach—one that addresses the interconnected nature of health system functions and builds resilience through coordination, equity, and sustained investment.
Women and families need high-quality care that is respectful, continuous, and designed to address not only obstetric emergencies but also mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases, and access to family planning. Listening to women’s experiences and supporting families emotionally and physically before, during, and after childbirth must become a norm, not a luxury. This must also include innovative skilling approaches that equip healthcare providers at every level with the tools they need—supported by strategies to expand the health workforce by tapping into new cadres, community health workers, and technology-assisted training platforms.
At InOrder, we believe that the health of mothers and babies reflects the overall integrity and resilience of a health system. When maternal and newborn care is strong, other parts of the system tend to follow. As we look ahead, our focus must shift from fragmented, reactive approaches to comprehensive, people-centered models of care that recognize maternal and newborn health as both a right and a priority.
World Health Day 2025 is a moment to recommit to place maternal and newborn health back at the center of national health agendas and to anchor it in the design of resilient health systems. Because healthy beginnings are not just about survival they are about dignity, opportunity, and the promise of a hopeful future for families, communities, and societies at large.