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Every year on April 7th, the world comes together to recognize World Health Day, led by the World Health Organization (WHO). This year’s theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” puts the spotlight on maternal and newborn health, a global issue that requires urgent attention and collective action. The campaign aims to raise awareness about gaps in maternal and newborn survival, while calling on governments and healthcare providers to prioritize women’s long-term health and well-being—not just during pregnancy, but well before and long after birth.
The Problem: A Preventable Tragedy
Despite medical advances, close to 300,000 women die every year due to pregnancy or childbirth-related causes. In addition, over 2 million babies die in their first month of life, and another 2 million are stillborn—amounting to a preventable death every seven seconds (WHO, 2025). These heartbreaking statistics reveal not just a health crisis, but a global equity issue.
Many of these deaths are avoidable with access to high-quality, respectful care. Unfortunately, most countries are off track to meet their maternal and newborn health targets by 2030, with 4 in 5 countries lagging on maternal survival goals and 1 in 3 falling short on reducing newborn deaths (WHO, 2025).
The Solution: Comprehensive Care That Starts Before Pregnancy
One of the solutions highlighted by the WHO is the need for quality care that supports individuals physically and emotionally—before, during, and after birth. This includes addressing not only direct complications during childbirth but also mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases, and critically, family planning and fertility care.
This is where fertility care professionals and digital health tools play an essential role.
Why Fertility Care Matters for Maternal Health
Fertility care is often viewed as a means to conception—but it’s much more than that. At its best, it’s a holistic, personalized approach to reproductive health that lays the groundwork for safer pregnancies and healthier mothers and babies.
Here’s how fertility care supports healthy beginnings:
- Early detection and prevention: Fertility tracking and assessments can identify hormonal imbalances, underlying health conditions, or genetic risks that could affect pregnancy outcomes.
- Mental health support: The fertility journey is emotionally intense. Offering emotional and psychological support as part of fertility care contributes to better long-term maternal well-being.
- Family planning and spacing: Helping individuals and couples decide when and how to conceive allows for healthier timing, reducing risks associated with closely spaced pregnancies or high-risk maternal age.
- Empowering informed decisions: Access to quality fertility care enables people to better understand their reproductive health and make informed choices—whether that involves treatment, prevention, or support.
Infertility as a Public Health Issue
According to WHO, 1 in 6 people globally are affected by infertility, a condition that can stem from a range of causes including tubal or uterine disorders, endocrine issues, or sperm abnormalities. While infertility is a medical condition, it also has profound emotional and social implications—and is increasingly recognized as a human rights concern (WHO, 2024).
WHO affirms that "every individual and couple has the right to decide the number, timing, and spacing of their children" (2024), and that infertility can stand in the way of realizing these essential rights. However, access to fertility care remains deeply unequal. In many parts of the world, infertility diagnosis and treatment are not prioritized in national health systems, leaving millions without the support they need due to cost, stigma, or lack of services.
Fertility care, when accessible and integrated into broader maternal health strategies, becomes a tool for equity—and for hope.
What You Can Do as a Fertility Care Provider
As a clinic or healthcare professional in the fertility field, you have the opportunity to be part of a larger movement that supports maternal and newborn health from the very start.
Here’s how you can join the effort:
- Raise awareness: Share your insights on social media using #HopefulFutures and #HealthForAll.
- Tell stories: Highlight real experiences from your patients (with their permission), showcasing how fertility care supported a healthy pregnancy or emotional healing.
- Share your expertise: As a professional, talk about how you help individuals prepare for healthy pregnancies and support them through their reproductive journey.
- Educate your community: Provide accessible information about fertility, preconception health, and early intervention to empower more people to make informed health decisions.
Conclusion: Fertility Care Is the First Step in Maternal Health
Healthy pregnancies don’t begin with the first ultrasound—they begin with awareness, care, and support during the fertility journey.
This World Health Day, let’s recognize that improving maternal and newborn health requires us to look further. Fertility care is a key part of the solution—one that gives women* and families the best possible start.
By aligning our work with global efforts like WHO’s Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures campaign, we can play a vital role in reducing preventable deaths and empowering healthier lives.
Join us in supporting this year’s World Health Day campaign and share this message with #HopefulFutures and #HealthForAll.
Sources:
World Health Day 2025: Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures. (2025, April 7). Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2025/04/07/default-calendar/world-health-day-2025-healthy-beginnings-hopeful-futures
World Health Organization: WHO. (2024, May 22). Infertility. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility
