Lithuania has announced a series of bold initiatives to improve health outcomes for preterm and sick newborns, positioning the country at the forefront of Europe’s effort to secure the health and future of its youngest citizens.
The announcement came in the form of a Call to Action adopted in the presence of Lithuania’s First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė, at the Growing Europe 2025 summit, a high-level gathering of policy-makers, health experts and civil society leaders. Held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 17 November, the summit was dedicated to addressing Europe’s demographic crisis and ensuring sustainable development.
Europe stands at a historic crossroads. Falling birth rates, ageing populations and depopulating regions are no longer abstract trends – they are existential threats to the continent’s stability, prosperity and resilience.
Empowering families
Each year, over 400 000 babies are born preterm or sick, while families face growing pressures from fragile health systems and economic uncertainty. In Lithuania, as across the WHO European Region, preterm birth remains the leading cause of child mortality under 5, even in countries with advanced health-care systems.
Globally, 1 in 10 babies is born preterm, and prematurity results in nearly 900 000 preventable deaths each year.
The European Region is not immune to these global trends. Over the past 5 years, neonatal mortality rates have increased in 6 countries in the Region and plateaued in 3 others – with rates higher than the median for the Region.
The Region also sees inequalities. The neonatal mortality rate in the highest mortality country is 10 times higher than the average for the Region, and 28 times higher than the lowest mortality countries.
Against this backdrop, Lithuania is taking decisive action to give every child a strong start in life. The government’s strategy focuses on enhancing family-centred neonatal care, expanding access to pre- and post-natal health services, and supporting parents in raising children without economic or social barriers. These measures reflect a broader vision in the European Region, where every birth counts, families are empowered and communities thrive.
“Lithuania’s policies supporting families – generous parental leave, accessible early childhood care and a focus on children’s well-being in public decision-making – are a model for investing in the future. Investing in families is investing in a nation’s resilience,” said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, WHO/Europe’s Director of Health Systems, at the summit. “These policies are not only about demographic sustainability and gender equity; they are the foundation for healthier, more cohesive societies.”
Lithuania’s newborn health initiative
Key pillars of Lithuania’s newborn health initiative include:
- a strong start for every child: ensuring that high-quality, family-centred neonatal care is universally available, with equal standards across hospitals and regions;
- parenthood without barriers: creating social and economic policies that reduce the financial and logistical burdens of raising children, including parental leave, childcare support and housing incentives;
- thriving communities everywhere: guaranteeing fair access to essential services in rural and underserved areas, bridging disparities that impact both families and newborns;
- inclusive workforce participation: integrating demographic sustainability into workforce planning and supporting parents’ participation in the labour market without compromising childcare;
- leadership and accountability: embedding family and newborn health into national and regional strategies, with measurable targets and transparent reporting; and
- collective action for growth: fostering collaboration among governments, health-care systems, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academia and businesses to ensure long-term impact.
Lithuania’s announcement aligns with a growing European consensus that demographic and family policies are critical national security issues. With fertility rates below replacement levels across the continent, Europe faces a shrinking workforce, potential economic decline and a loss of community vitality. The country’s approach demonstrates how targeted health interventions – particularly for preterm and sick infants – can reinforce societal stability and prosperity.
The Growing Europe 2025 summit convened leaders from across sectors to share best practices, coordinate action and mobilize resources to address Europe’s demographic challenges. Lithuania’s commitments were welcomed as an exemplar of evidence-based, human-centred policy that integrates health care, social support and economic planning.
Families in Lithuania stand to benefit immediately from these initiatives, with improved access to neonatal care, compensated medical services and parental support programmes. Experts emphasized that every preterm baby who survives and thrives represents a tangible investment in the future.
Achieving impact under the second European Programme of Work
Lithuania’s announcement marks a significant step forward in strengthening care for preterm and sick newborns, reinforcing the country’s alignment with the second European Programme of Work, 2026–2030 (EPW2). The initiative reflects a shared regional commitment to reducing health inequalities and ensuring that every child – regardless of where they are born or their family circumstances – has the strongest possible start in life.
Improving neonatal care is central to building resilient, people-centred health systems, a core priority under EPW2. By investing in high-quality care for the most vulnerable newborns, Lithuania is helping set the foundation for sustainable health and social systems capable of meeting both current and future demographic challenges.
The country’s approach also mirrors a growing movement across the European Region to integrate maternal, newborn and child health into broader demographic, social and economic policies. WHO/Europe has long advocated for such coherence and for sustained, long-term planning that places families and children at the heart of national development strategies.
The new Call to Action directly supports WHO/Europe’s efforts under EPW2 to help countries address demographic pressures by safeguarding the health and well-being of children and families as a cornerstone of resilient societies.
“Taken together, Lithuania’s efforts represent an important contribution to delivering on EPW2’s vision of healthier, fairer and more resilient societies across Europe and Central Asia,” added Dr Azzopardi-Muscat.
The event in Vilnius was organized by “Growing Lithuania” and the NGO Lithuania Premature Baby Association “Neišnešiotukas”, and held under the patronage of the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė.