Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing
We lead WHO’s work on the life course so that every pregnant woman, mother, newborn, child, adolescent, and older person will survive, thrive and enjoy health and well-being.

Interventions, norms, standards and guidelines

Key interventions for maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (MNCAH) programmes, as outlined by WHO, aim to reduce preventable deaths, improve health outcomes and promote well-being across the life course. These interventions focus on essential health services and are categorized into several areas.

These interventions are designed to be evidence-based, integrated within national health systems and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure universal health coverage and equitable access to care.

 

Interventions

 

 

Guidelines

Resources

Latest publications

WHO labour care guide: implementation resource package

The WHO Labour Care Guide advances evidence-based, respectful, and person-centered intrapartum care by strengthening health workers’ capacity for...

Compendium on respectful maternal and newborn care

The compendium supports efforts to end mistreatment and achieve respectful maternal and newborn care, marking a decade since the WHO’s 2014 statement...

In vitro diagnostic tests for serious bacterial infection, including neonatal sepsis, among infants aged 0–59 days: target product profile

An estimated 2.3 million newborns die each year. Low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest mortality burden, with sepsis contributing 15%. It...