Maternal Health Awareness Day 2026: Transforming Evidence into Action for Safer Mother and Child Care

Global health leaders are marking Maternal Health Awareness Day 2026 with a critical focus on evidence. The central message is clear: up to 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, and translating trusted research into clinical practice is key to saving lives.
The global burden remains stark, with the vast majority of preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. This underscores not just a health crisis, but a profound inequity. Strengthening maternal health is recognized as one of the most effective pathways to improving outcomes for newborns and children worldwide.

Decades of Evidence Shaping Global Guidelines

For decades, organizations like Cochrane have played a pivotal role in this effort. Hundreds of Cochrane reviews have directly informed World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, guiding care from pregnancy through postpartum.
Key examples include a review confirming that magnesium sulphate for women at risk of preterm birth significantly reduces the baby’s chance of developing cerebral palsy. Other reviews have shaped guidelines on caffeine therapy for preterm infants’ lung function and new consolidated guidelines for preventing postpartum hemorrhage—a leading cause of maternal death.

A Strategic Push to Bridge the Evidence Gap

Recognizing the scale of the challenge, maternal and child health is a top priority in Cochrane’s 2025-2030 strategy. The plan is to move evidence into action by focusing on major causes of death like hypertensive disorders and infections. Collaborating globally to produce timely evidence for urgent policy updates and building evidence synthesis capacity in regions where health inequities are most acute.
This work is already underway, with Cochrane teams actively contributing to upcoming WHO guidelines on hyperglycemia in pregnancy and caesarean section.

A Future Built on Collaboration and Informed Care

To foster global collaboration, Cochrane is launching a new Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Grand Rounds series. The inaugural session, honoring International Women and Girls in Science Day, will spotlight women’s leadership in research on February 11.
The overarching commitment for 2026 and beyond is to ensure that every mother and child, everywhere, has access to care informed by the best available evidence. As Cochrane states, “evidence alone does not save lives,” but it is the essential foundation for the informed decisions that do.