World Health Day on April 7, 2025

On April 7, we commemorate the founding day of the WHO in 1948. It is celebrated annually and draws attention each year to a specific health topic that concerns people around the world. The 2025 campaign is 'Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures'.

World Health Day (general)

World Health Day is a global day for health awareness that is celebrated every year on April 7 under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other related organizations.

In 1948, the WHO held the first World Health Assembly. The assembly decided to celebrate World Health Day every year on April 7, starting in 1950. World Health Day is held to mark the founding of the WHO and is viewed by the organization as an opportunity to draw worldwide attention each year to a topic of great importance to global health. On the day, the WHO organizes international, regional, and local events related to a specific theme. World Health Day is recognized by various governments and non-governmental organizations with interests in public health issues, which also organize activities and emphasize their support in media reports, such as the Global Health Council.

World Health Day is one of the eleven official global health campaigns of the WHO, together with World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunisation Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World AIDS Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Chagas Disease Day, World Patient Safety Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and World Hepatitis Day.

World Health Day on April 7, 2025

World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April 2025, launches a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign, titled 'Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures', urges governments and the healthcare sector to intensify efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn mortality and to prioritize women's long-term health and well-being. Additionally, the WHO and its partners will share useful information to support healthy pregnancies and deliveries and better postnatal health.

Helping every woman and baby survive and thrive. This task is crucial. Tragically, according to currently published estimates, 260.000 women lose their lives annually due to pregnancy or childbirth, while more than 2 million babies die in their first month of life and approximately 2 million others are stillborn. That is about 1 preventable death every 7 seconds. Based on current trends, as many as 4 out of 5 countries are not on track to meet the targets for improving maternal survival rates by 2030. 1 in 3 countries will not meet the targets for reducing newborn mortality.

Listening to women and supporting families. Women and families around the world need high-quality care that supports them physically and emotionally before, during, and after childbirth. Healthcare systems must evolve to manage the many health issues affecting the health of mother and newborn. This includes not only direct complications during pregnancy but also mental health conditions, non-communicable diseases, and family planning.