In commemoration of the World Well being Day 2025 on 7 April 2025, the Kingdom of Eswatini joined world companions in launching a year-long marketing campaign below the theme “Wholesome Beginnings, Hopeful Futures”, calling for renewed dedication to finish preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.
The nationwide commemoration introduced collectively policymakers, well being professionals, civil society, UN businesses, authorities officers, and kids, reflecting a collective imaginative and prescient for safer pregnancies and more healthy newborns.
In his keynote deal with, the Minister of Well being, Hon. Mduduzi Matsebula, shared the nation’s progress in decreasing maternal mortality. Over the previous decade, maternal deaths within the nation have declined dramatically—from 593 deaths per 100,000 dwell births in 2012 to 240 per 100 000 dwell births in 2020, with an additional decline in institutional maternal mortality from 140 to 75 per 100 000 dwell births in 2024.
About 99% of pregnant girls attend not less than one ANC go to. Statistics present that solely 5% attend the advisable 8 ANC visits, and simply 43% start ANC within the first trimester, limiting alternatives for early detection of problems. Additional, 93% of moms ship in well being amenities attended by expert well being personnel. Nonetheless, house deliveries nonetheless happen at 6% nationally.
Regardless of this progress, the speed of decline in maternal deaths has not too long ago plateaued. Preventable causes similar to postpartum hemorrhage (extreme bleeding) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) proceed to drive maternal deaths.
“These positive aspects are a testomony to improved high quality of care in our well being amenities. Nonetheless, the work is much from over,” mentioned Minister Matsebula. “We should proceed to scale up entry to high quality well being care and guarantee no lady dies whereas giving life.”
In the meantime, Eswatini’s neonatal mortality charge presently stands at 23 per 1 000 dwell births, barely beneath the regional common of 27/1 000. Most neonatal deaths happen through the first week of life, primarily as a result of prematurity (over 50%, delivery asphyxia (18%) and malnutrition (16%), indicating the necessity for improved high quality in antenatal and supply companies.
World Well being Group (WHO) Consultant in Eswatini, Dr Susan Tembo, says these figures point out that Eswatini continues to face vital challenges in decreasing maternal and neonatal mortality. She reiterated that the main target of this marketing campaign on moms and infants highlights the pressing want for complete enhancements in maternal and neonatal care to successfully scale back mortality charges. “We should always remember that each maternal demise is a tragedy, and the lack of each new child life is a profound loss for our nation,” she mentioned.
Encouragingly, the nation’s funding in neonatal care has yielded outcomes. The trendy Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), established in 2019, has considerably decreased mortality charges amongst admitted newborns—at the same time as referrals improve.
WHO’s name to Motion
Dr. Tembo emphasised that maternal and neonatal deaths needs to be everybody’s enterprise. “We should spend money on maternal and new child well being—not simply because it’s an ethical crucial, however as a result of it strengthens households, economies, and nations.”
WHO calls on all stakeholders—governments, donors, civil society, and communities—to:
1. Strengthen major healthcare techniques, particularly round childbirth.
2. Develop entry to expert personnel, provides, and infrastructure.
3. Prioritize emergency care, new child assist, and follow-up companies.
4. Empower households and neighborhood well being employees.
5. Speed up efforts to fulfill SDG targets and finish preventable deaths.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Well being Group (WHO) – Eswatini.
