World Health Day 2025: Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures – A Breath of Fresh Air for Mothers and Newborns in South Asia

Every year on April 7, World Health Day shines a light on critical global health issues. This year, the theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures" puts the spotlight on maternal and newborn health — a cause that resonates deeply with families and communities around the world. It’s a powerful call to action: to ensure every woman and every baby not only survives but thrives.

Yet, in South Asia, one of the most pressing and under-discussed threats to maternal and newborn health isn’t just inside hospitals — it’s in the air we breathe.

Air Pollution: A Silent Emergency for Mothers and Babies

South Asia is home to some of the world’s most polluted cities. Delhi, Lahore, Dhaka, and Kathmandu regularly register air quality index (AQI) levels that far exceed safe limits. According to the State of Global Air report, over 1.2 million deaths in India alone were linked to air pollution in recent years. But beyond the headlines and the smog-laced skylines, there’s a hidden toll — one borne by expectant mothers and their newborns.

Emerging evidence links exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during pregnancy to serious health outcomes: low birth weight, preterm births, impaired lung development, and even stillbirth. A 2020 global study estimated that air pollution contributed to nearly 500,000 infant deaths in their first month of life, with the highest burden in South Asia.

Why This Matters for "Healthy Beginnings"

Healthy pregnancies begin with a safe environment. Clean air, like access to nutritious food or skilled care during childbirth, is fundamental to ensuring a strong start in life. When mothers are exposed to polluted air, they are at higher risk of hypertension, gestational diabetes, and other complications that can lead to life-threatening outcomes for both them and their babies.

The statistics are staggering:

• 300,000 women die annually from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes.

• Over 2 million newborns die in the first month of life.

• Another 2 million are stillborn — many due to preventable causes, including environmental exposures.

These numbers translate to one preventable death every seven seconds. And air pollution is an invisible but potent contributor to this crisis.

A Regional Call to Action: Clean Air for Safe Births

Governments across South Asia have taken important steps — from India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to efforts to phase out dirty fuels and improve air quality monitoring. Yet, implementation gaps persist, especially in safeguarding the most vulnerable: pregnant women, infants, and frontline health workers.

On this World Health Day, we must reframe air pollution not just as an environmental issue, but as a maternal and newborn health emergency.

Here’s what we need:

1. Integrated Health and Environmental Policies: Maternal health strategies must include air quality interventions — like ensuring clean cooking fuels, indoor ventilation, and pollution-free surroundings for expectant mothers.

2. Community-Based Awareness Campaigns: Public awareness on the impacts of air pollution on pregnancy and infant health is sorely lacking. Engaging youth groups, health workers, and local organizations can help bridge this knowledge gap.

3. Cleaner Cities, Healthier Births: Urban planning must prioritize green spaces, public transport, and pollution controls around hospitals and maternity centers — creating safe zones for new life to begin.

4. Data and Surveillance: Investments in air quality monitoring, especially in areas with high birth rates, are essential to track progress and inform targeted interventions.

5. Empowered Health Systems: Midwives and maternal health providers should be equipped with knowledge and tools to mitigate environmental risks during antenatal care.

Hopeful Futures Begin with Clean Air

The promise of a hopeful future begins at birth — but only if that first breath isn’t poisoned by pollution. As we mark World Health Day 2025, let’s remember that ensuring healthy beginnings means tackling all threats — visible and invisible.

Let’s take a stand for clean air, not just as an environmental goal, but as a public health imperative. When we invest in clean air, we invest in the health of mothers, the survival of newborns, and the future of generations to come.

Because every baby deserves a safe start. And every mother, a healthy journey. #HopefulFutures #HealthForAll #WorldHealthOrganization #UNICEF

UNICEF USA @WorldHealthOrganization @UN