A strong start in life goes beyond mere survival. It’s about recognizing the immense potential within each newborn and nurturing it. It’s about ensuring that every baby not only lives, but flourishes – and grows into someone who can help shape a better world.
Around 1 in 10 babies worldwide is preterm – born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Without effective care, they are at high risk of life-threatening health conditions like respiratory distress, infections, and hypothermia, which together lead to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year.
Together, governments, health systems, communities, families, and individuals share the responsibility to protect these tiny babies ensuring they have the best start in life and receive the highest quality of special care and support.
The theme of World Prematurity Day also resonates with this year's Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures campaign by WHO for World Health Day.
This reminds us that every child deserves an equal opportunity to thrive – starting from their very first breath.
A landmark year
First launched in 2008 by the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (now the Global Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants or GFCNI) and many parent organizations, World Prematurity Day has today grown into a global movement.
In 2025, the World Health Assembly officially added World Prematurity Day to WHO’s international health calendar, recognizing its pivotal importance for improving child survival and well-being.
While the Day was traditionally marked annually on 17 November, in order to dedicate a unique day on which to focus on this priority issue without overlapping with other mandated World Days, WHO has designated 15 November as World Prematurity Day. The main aim of the Day is to raise awareness of the impact of preterm birth and advocate for quality care for every baby who is born too soon.
Call to action:
- Invest in special care for small and sick newborns, including neonatal units, specially trained staff, dedicated space and life-saving equipment.
- Strengthen maternal health services to prevent preterm birth and detect health problems early.
- Support families with emotional, financial, and practical resources to care for their tiny babies.
- Ensure equity so that survival doesn’t depend on geography or income, but grants every baby – from their tiniest beginnings –the best chance at a brilliant future
Free online WHO training for health workers and health managers: