Berlin: Prof. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta’s lifelong work in maternal and child health has helped shape global health policy and saved millions of lives worldwide, global health leaders said as he was honoured with the Virchow Prize 2025 during a ceremony held alongside the World Health Summit in Berlin on Saturday.
The award was presented in recognition of his evidence-driven reforms that transformed survival outcomes for vulnerable women and children across South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and crisis-hit regions globally.
The summit, held under the theme “Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World,” brought together leading policymakers and experts at a time when global health equity faces unprecedented challenges.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, delivering the laudation before an audience of more than 250 government representatives, parliamentarians, academics and civil society leaders, said Prof. Bhutta’s work has directly influenced health systems and inspired policy shifts in multiple countries.
“Many mothers and children would not be here today without you,” she said, addressing him. “You have raised maternal and child health on the global agenda, transformed evidence into action and changed the course of countless lives. You have made us proud.”
She recalled working alongside Prof. Bhutta during critical policy transitions in Pakistan and how his research laid the foundation for government-backed social protection and nutrition programmes.
“The evaluation of those programmes later showed an 8 percent reduction in vulnerable newborn births and nearly a 20 percent decline in stunting—proof that evidence, when linked with policy, delivers real change,” she said.
Prof. Bhutta, one of the most widely cited global health scientists, said that while child mortality has declined from over 10 million deaths in the year 2000, progress on newborn survival remains slow, particularly in conflict zones, climate-affected regions and areas facing mass displacement.
“These are poly-crisis environments where conventional health systems do not work. To reach children there, we need innovations, mobile outreach, humanitarian integration and, above all, the empowerment of women at the community level,” he said.
He stressed that preventing early pregnancies, improving maternal health and ensuring women enter childbirth in strong health conditions remain essential to further reducing deaths. “If we stay focused on evidence-based strategies and tailor delivery to local realities, cutting newborn mortality by two-thirds by 2030 or 2035 is possible,” he said.
The Virchow Prize, awarded annually by the Virchow Foundation, honours individuals whose work has had a profound impact on global health and aligns with the values of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The foundation aims to raise public awareness around global responsibility, solidarity and health equity—principles that marked the tone of this year’s ceremony.
As applause echoed through the Berlin venue, Prof. Bhutta’s recognition became a moment of pride not only for Pakistan but for all countries that continue to fight for a fairer, evidence-led global health system.
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