7 April 2025
Today, countries worldwide observe World Health Day 2025, focusing on the theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures." This year-long campaign highlights the critical importance of improving maternal and newborn health. It calls on governments and the global health community to redouble efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths while prioritizing the long-term health and well-being of women.
Addressing maternal non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as gestational diabetes, hypertension (including pre-eclampsia), and obesity during pregnancy is essential to reducing both immediate complications and long-term health risks for mothers and their children.
Early childhood nutrition, physical activity, and the surrounding environment also play a vital role in shaping lifelong health outcomes. Exposure to poor nutrition, tobacco, alcohol, or air pollution during early years increases the likelihood of developing NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and asthma later in life.
Preventing NCDs starts before birth. Healthy mothers contribute to healthier future generations. Ensuring healthy pregnancies is a foundational step in preventing chronic diseases. Early care, therefore, is an investment in long-term health.
