Neonatal Intensive Care Centre at the District Headquarter Hospital in Haripur. Photo credit: WHO Pakistan/Hamid Inam7 April 2025, Islamabad, Pakistan – On the occasion of World Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on international and national partners to urgently invest in reducing maternal and newborn deaths as a crucial necessity for the prosperity of Pakistan and the region. Every day, 675 babies under 1 month and 27 mothers die from preventable complications in Pakistan, amounting to over 9800 maternal and 246 300 newborn deaths each year. Pakistan also registers more than 190 000 stillbirths annually. Under the international theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”, WHO is reiterating its commitment to partner with Pakistan to provide high-quality health care to all mothers and newborns – leaving no one behind – as a vital step towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). “Every country needs healthy mothers and...