World Health Day: Evolving maternal and newborn health
Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures
Today, on 7 April, it is World Health Day 2025, dedicated to raising awareness of global health issues. This year's campaign theme, ‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures’, highlights the importance of improving maternal and newborn health to improve global well-being.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) publications, nearly 300 000 women die annually due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. Additionally, over 2 million newborns pass away in their first month. These statistics show the urgent need for action. The WHO’s target to improve maternal survival by 2030 aims to reduce these preventable deaths. Therefore, this campaign focuses on improving access to quality healthcare, enhancing maternal care services, ensuring safe delivery practices, and promoting education and awareness about maternal and newborn health worldwide.
A component of achieving these goals lies in the use of open health data. Frameworks like the European Health Data Space Regulation provide transparent and accessible health information, supporting the use and exchange of electronic health data across the EU. The most recent regulation was published on 5 March 2025 and entered into force on 26 March 2025. Various users, like researchers and healthcare providers, use the health data to improve healthcare by sharing medical information, fostering data-driven innovation, and policymaking. Through these valuable resources, WHO aims to enhance the quality of maternal and newborn care, eventually contributing to healthier long-term health and well-being worldwide.
World Health Day is a reminder of the importance of global health. By raising awareness and encouraging collaboration, this day contributes to a healthier future for everyone. Are you interested in more open health data? Our data.europa.eu health category has more datasets available.
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