7 April 2025, Sana’a, Yemen – On World Health Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) is raising the alarm about the dire state of maternal and neonatal health in Yemen. Under the theme Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, WHO is underscoring the urgent need for scaled-up interventions to save lives and protect the well-being of Yemen's most vulnerable.
Decades of conflict and a spiraling humanitarian crisis have decimated Yemen's health system. The statistics paint a stark picture of suffering and loss:
maternal mortality reached 183 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2020, a devastating regression in maternal health outcomes;
preventable complications such as haemorrhage and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia remain leading causes of maternal deaths, claiming the lives of women who should be experiencing the joy of motherhood;
prematurity, asphyxia, pneumonia and sepsis contribute to unacceptably high neonatal mortality rates; and
malnutrition and anaemia are rampant among women of reproductive age, jeopardizing their health and the health of their babies.
"The reality for mothers and newborns in Yemen is heartbreaking," says acting WHO Representative in Yemen Dr Ferima Coulibaly-Zerbo. "Behind these statistics are stories of immense hardship and loss. On this World Health Day, we cannot accept this as the status quo. We must act decisively and with unwavering commitment to ensure healthy beginnings and pave the way for hopeful futures.'"
WHO Yemen works tirelessly with health partners to deliver critical support and implement lifesaving interventions, including:
strengthening surveillance systems to better understand and respond to maternal deaths;
improving the quality of care in health facilities, ensuring access to skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care;
providing essential medicines, equipment and supplies to health facilities;
training and supporting midwives and other health care providers; and
addressing malnutrition through screening, counseling and supplementation programmes.
The scale of the crisis demands an urgent response. WHO Yemen is calling on the international community to increase funding for maternal and neonatal health interventions, for the government and health authorities to prioritize and strengthen the health system and all stakeholders to work together to overcome barriers to access and ensure that every mother and newborn receives the care they need.
"The future of Yemen depends on the health and well-being of its mothers and children," says Dr Coulibaly-Zerbo. "Let World Health Day 2025 be a turning point, a moment when we collectively resolve to protect and invest in hopeful futures for all Yemenis."
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Since 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been the United Nations agency dedicated to advancing health for all, so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, direct and coordinate the world’s responses to health emergencies and connect nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
