Our Focus
Targets
Photo © 2023 WHO / Gary Chong Studios – Faris Syazwan:
Ismaziah, a community nurse and midwife, assesses the child’s health and runs through the standard medical protocol checklist.
About
The Targets
Photo © 2023 WHO / Gary Chong Studios – Faris Syazwan:
Ismaziah, a community nurse and midwife, assesses the child’s health and runs through the standard medical protocol checklist.
We know what works to drastically improve the survival of pregnant women, mothers, newborns and babies.
Photo © 2024 WHO:
WHO team visit to Al Hilal Emirates Hospital in Rafah (Gaza), showing the work of the midwives and the situation of the mothers there.
Target 1
Status
Target 2
Status
Target 3
Status
Target 4
Status
Growing proportion of women who make their own informed and empowered decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
Impact
Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere set global but also national and subnational targets. These are particularly important because national averages can mask wide intra-country disparity. Progress is assessed not only in terms of national averages, but also on how gains benefits all groups living in a country. Disaggregating data to subnational levels can reveal specific areas with low coverage, helps identifying vulnerable populations, and facilitates evidenced-based policy making to improve the health of women, mothers and babies.
Why these targets?
Because we know what interventions do improve maternal and newborn survival and health, and reduce stillbirths.
Photo © 2022 WHO / Neil Nuia
Lottie and her child at the postnatal ward at National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Pregnant women have at least four antenatal care visits:
Why it matters: Receiving antenatal care at least four times increases the likelihood of reaching pregnant women with interventions that may be vital to their health and wellbeing and that of their infants, and reduce the risks of stillbirths and pregnancy complications.
Pregnant women have at least four antenatal care visits:
Why it matters: Receiving antenatal care at least four times increases the likelihood of reaching pregnant women with interventions that may be vital to their health and wellbeing and that of their infants, and reduce the risks of stillbirths and pregnancy complications.
Photo © 2019 WHO / Catherine O’Sullivan
Midwife washing her hands.
Newborns and their mother are attended in the 2 days following birth
Why it matters: Up to 30% of maternal deaths occur postpartum. During postnatal care visits, health workers can identify risks, prevent complications for both the mother and the newborn, promote their health and wellbeing, foster support from the family and the community and address health-related and social needs.
Photo © 2019 WHO / Yoshi Shimizu
A health worker gives a vaccination to a baby at a family health center in Kiribati.
Small and sick newborns have access to specialized care
Emergency obstetric care services are available and functioning
Women decide on their sexual and reproductive health
The trends
The trends below show that we will fall short of these targets by 2025:
Explore further and accelerate change