-During World Health Day Address
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – Liberia’s President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence, delivered a stirring call to action during World Health Day 2025 celebrations, emphasizing the urgent need to address Africa’s maternal and newborn health crisis under the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.”
Speaking before global health leaders and policymakers, Senator Karngar-Lawrence painted a sobering picture of maternal healthcare across the continent. She cited World Health Organization data showing South Sudan’s maternal mortality ratio at 1,223 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Chad and Nigeria recording similarly alarming rates of 1,063 and 1,047 respectively.
The situation remains grave in Liberia, where recent surveys indicate 742 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births – a figure that surpasses the sub-Saharan African average of 542. “These aren’t just statistics,” the Senator emphasized. “They represent mothers, daughters, and sisters whose lives end unnecessarily during what should be a joyful event.”
The crisis extends to newborns, with Liberia’s infant mortality rate standing at 37 deaths per 1,000 live births, nearing the regional average of 27. Senator Karngar-Lawrence stressed that these preventable losses not only devastate families but also undermine national development by depriving Liberia of its future generations.
Highlighting successful interventions in countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia, the Senator outlined a comprehensive strategy for Liberia. She called for substantially increased healthcare funding to equip rural facilities and train more skilled birth attendants. The plan also includes expanded education programs on reproductive health and nutrition, stronger collaboration with traditional leaders and midwives to address cultural barriers, and policy reforms to make maternal care universally accessible.
“Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures is more than a theme – it’s our moral obligation,” Senator Karngar-Lawrence declared. “By implementing these solutions, we can transform childbirth from a time of fear into a celebration of life and potential for every Liberian family.”
The address concluded with a rallying cry for immediate action, positioning maternal health as both a humanitarian imperative and a cornerstone of national development. Health advocates praised the speech as a crucial step in mobilizing resources and political will to address one of Liberia’s most persistent public health challenges.
World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organizations. World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April 2025, kicked off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign, titled Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures, urges 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.
In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as World Health Day. World Health Day is held to mark WHO’s founding and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.
