World Health Day side event at CPD58
The governments of Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa are co-sponsoring an event to celebrate World Health Day, and the commencement of the 58th Commission on Population and Development (CPD) on 7 April from 13:15 to 14:30 at the UN Secretariat in New York City.
The event is organized with the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP), and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH).
The 2025-26 theme for World Health Day is ‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, focusing on improving maternal and newborn health. It builds on momentum from the 78th World Health Assembly where governments resolved to accelerate progress on maternal, child and newborn mortality and improve survival, and includes the launch of new global maternal mortality estimates.
Universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services is essential to reducing maternal mortality and fulfilling international commitments including the International Commission on Population and Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Evidence shows that prioritizing women’s health holistically before, during and well-beyond the reproductive years is the path toward a healthier, more equitable world. Furthermore, maternal, newborn and child survival targets cannot be achieved without universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
Against a backdrop of wider shifts in geopolitics which are challenging multilateralism, science, and health as a political choice, this event will provide data and showcase solutions for promoting health and well-being at every stage.
