A Life-Saving Impact

Every mother and child deserves the chance to live a healthy life. Yet, millions struggle due to poor access to healthcare. For example, when Diana went into early labour in Bungoma, Kenya, she sought help at her local health center. Recognizing the need for specialized care, the health workers transferred her to a hospital with a dedicated ward for preterm babies, supported by Save the Children. Her baby, Blessings, was born weighing just 1kg. The midwives, nurses, and health workers guided Diana in providing Kangaroo Mother Care, a proven method where skin-to-skin contact helps stabilize and strengthen preterm babies. “They encouraged me and gave me hope,” Diana said.

With their support, she learned how to care for her newborn, ensuring Blessings received the warmth and attention needed to grow stronger. Thanks to the dedicated healthcare team, both mother and baby had the support necessary for a healthy start. However, preterm birth, birth trauma, and congenital disorders[1] are the leading causes of newborn deaths and can also lead to disabilities. To improve outcomes, Save the Children is supporting early detection through newborn screening.

WHO has made maternal and newborn health the theme of World Health Day 2025 and is launching a powerful yearlong campaign—Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures—to build momentum and the Global Network of Leaders for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, a network of 9 Heads of States push for increased political commitment.

 A Global Crisis

The numbers are alarming. According to the latest IGME 2024 report and trends in Maternal Mortality:

• In 2023 alone, 4.8 million children under five died, with nearly half of those deaths occurring in the first month of life. Another 1.9 million were stillborn.
• Additionally, and despite global efforts and gains – a 40% decrease between 2000 and 2023, maternal deaths remain high—260,000 women die each year from pregnancy complications.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest hit, with 70% of maternal deaths and 56% of under-five child deaths [SW1] occurring there, despite accounting for just 30% of live births, and 28% of the under-five population.  [HW2]   [HW3] [CR4] 

  Despite these challenges, there is hope. Governments and donors have made new commitments to reduce maternal, newborn, and child deaths. At the World Health Assembly in 2024[HW5] [CR6], leaders made new commitments to tackle maternal, newborn, and child deaths through a landmark resolution. Global initiatives, like Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere and Child Survival Action, focus on improving healthcare quality and fairness in the most affected regions. However, real change requires better accountability, increased investment, and strong political will.

  New Challenges: Climate and Conflict

  Health systems in many low-income countries are under increasing strain from wars, climate change, and pandemics. Conflict zones, for example, see disruptions in health services, damage to infrastructure, and displacement of health workers, all of which create barriers to accessing maternal and newborn care.

  In the world’s largest refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, Save the Children is providing urgent child health (particularly malnutrition) services, antenatal and postnatal care, maternal nutrition counselling, and mental health and psychosocial support to Rohingya mothers. In Gaza, amid conflict, a Save the Children maternity unit recently delivered its first baby, highlighting the critical need for maternal health services even in crisis zones.

  The Funding Gap

  On top of these challenges, maternal and newborn health remains severely underfunded, and the most recent reduction in funding is making an already dire situation worse. Between 2009 and 2019, cuts to aid resulted in a 3.6% rise in child mortality and a 6.4% increase in maternal deaths. Similar trends can be expected because of the unprecedented funding cuts on maternal, newborn, and child health that we are witnessing today.

  The funding gaps we are now facing could force us to close down programmes that are a lifeline to children. Without additional funding, Save the Children predicts 106,000 births will take place globally without skilled support, directly contributing to a surge in infant and maternal mortality, just from the impacts on their programmes. In the next three months, 32,500 women and their babies will lose access to antenatal, delivery, and postpartum care.  

  In collaboration with Governments and partners, UNICEF supports the strengthening of community health systems to deliver comprehensive care to remote communities and provide emergency support to mothers, newborns, and children in humanitarian crises. However, this vital work is under threat amid an unprecedented global funding crisis.

  The global funding crisis is already having devastating consequences for child health. For example, in Uganda, across 15 districts, more than 11,000 community health workers can no longer provide essential care for over 900,000 young children, leaving their lives at risk from treatable diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria. And the impact is set to worsen. Nearly 7,500 additional health workers were scheduled to be trained by mid-2025 across 19 districts, expanding care to almost one million children. But with funding cuts, this critical training is now on hold, meaning fewer children will get the life-saving care they need.

  Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face mounting challenges, with debt levels exceeding 60% of GDP in some cases, forcing governments to divert budgets toward debt servicing instead of health systems. This leaves little room to meet the recommended 1–2% of GDP allocation for primary healthcare. Many African countries struggle to meet their commitment to allocate 15% of national budgets to health, as promised in the 2001 Abuja Declaration. This leaves families to pay for healthcare out of pocket, making it even harder for women and children to get the care they need. 

  This is a clear advocacy priority, as exemplified in PMNCH Collaborative Advocacy Action Plans in 10 African countries, most of which prioritize the allocation and timely disbursement of funding for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health.

  What Needs to Be Done by policymakers

  To protect mothers, babies, and children, we need to focus more strongly on healthcare funding and accessibility.  Save the Children, UNICEF, and PMNCH are calling on world leaders and policymakers to:

• Allocate 1-2% of GDP to primary healthcare and increase resources for maternal and newborn health through tax reforms, debt relief, and health insurance expansion.
• Protect and increase funding to maternal, newborn, and child health initiatives, including Gavi, Global Financing Facility (GFF), and the Global Fund, and ensure improved coordination and funding efficiencies in line with national health priorities.
• Eliminating user fees for maternal and newborn care.
• Recruit, train, and retain health workers, especially midwives, nurses, and community health workers (CHWs), providing fair compensation, professional development, and protective equipment.
• Integrate maternal, newborn and child health into national climate adaptation plans and ensure health facilities are equipped to handle climate-related and conflict-induced crises.
• Invest in research and evidence to save maternal, newborn, and child lives.

  A Shared Responsibility

  Every mother and child deserves the chance to survive and thrive. On World Health Day, we must renew our commitment to strengthening healthcare systems, supporting healthcare workers, and ensuring no one is left behind.

  Investing in maternal, newborn, and child health is not just the right thing to do—it’s a smart investment in the future of global health and development.

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  [1] Congenital disorders are structural or functional anomalies present at birth that are caused by genetic, environmental, or a combination of factors.

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