In Hanoi, the Ministry of Health and the Central Youth Union yesterday afternoon coordinated to organize a meeting in response to World Health Day 2025. The event attracted the participation of young doctors, youth volunteers and more than 1,000 young people and students.
The World Health Day, celebrated on April 7 2025, will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign, titled Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being. The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.
Globally, there has been significant process in reducing maternal and newborn mortality. However, each year more than 300,000 women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth and 2.5 million babies die during the first month of life. The World Health Organization estimates that one preventable death occurs every 7 seconds.
Vietnam has achieved significant progress in maternal and child health over recent decades. Since 1990, the maternal mortality rate has declined more than fivefold, placing Vietnam among the six countries globally recognized for meeting international standards in reducing maternal mortality. Similarly, the infant mortality rate has dropped from 44‰ to 11.6‰, while the under-five mortality rate has decreased from 58‰ to 16.9‰. The rate of child malnutrition has also seen a sharp decline, falling from 53 percent to 9.7 percent.
At the event, the Vietnam Young Physicians Association, in collaboration with the Central Obstetrics Hospital, the National Institute of Nutrition, and Hanoi Medical University, provided health examinations, screenings, consultations, and gifts to over 1,000 individuals—including children, adolescents of pre-marital age, and women of reproductive age.
Looking ahead, the Vietnam Young Physicians Association plans to extend its outreach, with health consultation and examination programs expected to benefit more than 10,000 people in communities nationwide by April 2025.
At the event, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, Secretary of the Central Youth Union Ngo Van Cuong, and WHO Chief Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt presided over the launching ceremony. Together, they reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the rights of women and children—emphasizing disease prevention, healthcare access, and the protection of maternal and child health—as part of broader efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
