World Health Day 2025: Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures

Curated by Shoba Suri

This World Health Day serves as a reminder of the urgent need to ensure equitable and accessible healthcare for all. This year’s theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” highlights the critical role of maternal and newborn health in shaping long-term well-being. Pregnancy and early childhood lay the foundation for a healthier future, making it critical to address challenges like malnutrition, anaemia, low birth weight, maternal healthcare access, and gender disparities. 

This series delves into the importance of maternal nutrition, preventing anaemia, and tackling low birth weight, underscoring the significance of early interventions and accessible healthcare. It also addresses period poverty and menstrual hygiene among rural populations with a focus on reproductive health implications. The unnecessary C-section epidemic, the impact of economic hardship and unpaid care on maternal health, and the implications of delayed childbearing all highlight the changing landscape of maternity care. The role of gender equity and mobile health (mHealth) technologies in improving healthcare access is also explored, demonstrating how digital solutions can bridge healthcare gaps. Furthermore,  the effects of the global health crisis on maternal and child health necessitate robust healthcare systems and policy changes. Through policy-driven solutions, community engagement, and healthcare innovations, this compilation emphasises the need for comprehensive, equitable, and sustainable maternal and child health interventions.