THE World Health Organization has called on all countries to work towards ending maternal and newborn mortality and to prioritize the long-term health of women this year. Its goal is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy life, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to address global health challenges.

Indeed, the maternal mortality rate, newborn mortality rate, and the death rate of children under five are key indicators of the economic, social, and health sectors in all countries. The world has made notable progress in maternal and child care over the past decade compared to previous decades. However, approximately 300,000 women still lose their lives each year during pregnancy or childbirth. Furthermore, more than two million children die in their first month of life. Accord­ing to the WHO, this means that one newborn dies every seven seconds.

Currently, the world is facing numerous challenges across all sectors. Over 90 per cent of the global population is breathing polluted air, primar­ily due to the burning of fossil fuels. A significant number of people are becoming homeless as a result of severe climate conditions, earthquakes, land degradation, water shortages, and disease outbreaks linked to climate change. Natural dis­asters and environmental is­sues are increasingly becoming health crises for all humans. The WHO estimates that more than 13 million people worldwide die each year due to environmental factors.

All countries rely on direc­tives and aid from the WHO during health crises. Therefore, the financial situation plays a key role in the WHO’s ability to operate effectively. Additionally, the contributions of all countries are crucial for the success of WHO’s projects.

In implementing its projects, the WHO achieved notable suc­cesses, including the elimination of smallpox in 1979, a 50 per cent reduction in HIV infections among people aged 15 to 24 by 2009 and 2015, a 40 per cent reduction in HIV infections among children, and a 40 per cent decrease in deaths of people from tuberculosis. More­over, the WHO successfully controlled the spread of communicable diseases worldwide.

Countries around the world are striving to provide healthcare to their populations in various ways. However, the gap between the rich and the poor presents challenges in delivering quality healthcare to all. As such, everyone needs to prioritize their own health, as well as the health of the world, for a successful future.