Honourable Dr Teodoro Herbosa, Secretary of Health of the Philippines,
Excellencies, members of the Diplomatic corps,
Fellow United Nations representatives,
Distinguished partners and participants,
Members of the press,
Ladies and gentlemen, magandang umaga and good morning.
Mabuhay and welcome to the annual celebration of World Health Day. It is an honour to speak with you on an issue that is vital to the future of our Region – the health of mothers and their babies.
This year’s theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”, marks the start of a year-long campaign, to improve maternal and newborn health.
We urge countries and partners to renew commitments to ensure high-quality health care for every mother and every newborn. The health of mothers and babies is a crucial part of our drive to achieve universal health coverage.
WHO works closely with governments to support mothers and babies by developing and implementing evidence-based policies, strategies, guidelines and clinical protocols.
Our initiatives aim to ensure integrated, people-centred maternal and newborn care. Our collaborative efforts are making a difference.
The maternal mortality ratio – which measures mothers’ health and the effectiveness of health-care systems, has shown significant improvement.
In 2010, 49 mothers in the Region died per 100 000 babies born. Newly released figures show that this number fell to 35 deaths per 100 000 live births by 2023.
While this is good progress, it is not enough – because even 1 preventable death is too many.
We are working hard with countries to save every life possible.
Despite 98% of births being attended by skilled health professionals in 2023, some countries and areas still face significant challenges in providing basic care.
Limited access to skilled birth attendants and essential facilities in these areas require urgent support to build maternal health infrastructure for maternal health services.
Prematurity, birth complications and neonatal infections continue to claim too many young lives – highlighting the importance of equitable access to high-quality care during babies’ first month of life.
Another threat to maternal and newborn health is the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially measles.
Measles cases in the Western Pacific have more than doubled compared to the same period last year, with outbreaks reported from Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Mongolia, and ongoing transmission in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam.
The rising number of cases also increases the risk of international spread. Unvaccinated newborns and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable to severe complications.
Ensuring high immunization coverage is about disease control and protecting the most at-risk populations. Strengthening routine immunization programmes alongside maternal health care will be critical to safeguarding the lives of both mothers and babies.
Most maternal deaths are preventable, caused by haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders and other indirect obstetric causes.
We need to reach every mother with quality, people-centred care throughout pregnancy and childbirth.
This approach will also improve survival rates and well-being of newborns.
The Region has taken decisive action to improve maternal and neonatal health.With WHO support, Member States have strengthened the health workforce, empowered women to play a more active role in their health, and enhanced data systems for regular monitoring.
The Region endorsed the Action Plan for Healthy Newborn Infants in the Western Pacific Region (2014–2020), which introduced Early Essential Newborn Care to prevent avoidable deaths and give every newborn a healthy start.This approach focuses on strengthening health systems and creating supportive environments where care providers consistently apply essential practices at every birth. This simple, highly cost-effective solution has been a game changer.
Over the past decade, Early Essential Newborn Care has saved lives in 9 priority countries where 95% of newborn deaths occurred in the Region.
The practice has been implemented in 6500 childbirth facilities, where more than 42 000 health-care providers have received coaching.
Today, 93% of full-term babies in the Region experience the life-saving first embrace – skin-to-skin contact with their mothers – immediately after birth.
Our work does not stop here. WHO remains committed to enhancing access to high-quality, respectful services across the pregnancy-childbirth-postnatal care continuum.
WHO strengthens routine quality improvement mechanisms by working alongside national counterparts, health authorities, professional societies, health-care providers and patients.
These efforts are complemented by on-the-job coaching on how to prevent and manage the main causes of maternal mortality.
As we move forward, let us reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every mother and every newborn baby receive high-quality care.
Health authorities can support improvements with sustained investments and create enabling environments for health workers to deliver quality care by ensuring uninterrupted access to water and sanitation and ensuring well-stocked facilities with essential medicines and supplies.
Ladies and gentlemen, today we are facing a complex geopolitical situation that is evolving quickly, causing tremendous upheaval across sectors, and forcing difficult decisions and reprioritization.
I am deeply concerned about the impact of significant cuts to programmes such as immunization and efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and polio.
At WHO, we are on the frontlines, fighting for those who deserve a bigger voice.
Our work is more vital than ever. Commitment to public health is critical. Health is one of the best investments we can make, for ourselves and for future generations.
By strengthening health-care systems, funding research and innovation, and ensuring access to essential services, we improve individual well-being, economic growth, resilience and social stability.
We appreciate your solidarity here today, standing with mothers to celebrate their journeys in bringing forth new life.
Providing maternal and newborn health is like weaving a mat. Health authorities, doctors, midwives and nurses, families and communities represent strands that must be carefully woven to create a strong, supportive foundation.
Just as a quality mat provides comfort and security, quality maternal care ensures that every woman experiences a safe and positive pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal period.
We must focus on improving care, strengthening trust in health-care systems and ensuring that every strand of support is tightly woven together.
Together, we can weave a healthy beginning and a hopeful future for every mother and every baby born in the Western Pacific Region.
I thank you.