With solely six years left to succeed in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress stays off-track in decreasing maternal mortality (SDG 3.1) and little one mortality (SDG 3.2). Accordingly, on the 154^th Executive Board (EB) assembly of the World Health Organization, 22^nd-27^th January 2024, Member States took be aware of the WHO Director General’s report on Acceleration towards the Sustainable Development Goal targets for maternal health and child mortality. The report highlights that 46 nations are projected to have a ratio better than 140 maternal deaths per 100 000 dwell births by 2030, greater than double the extent set by goal 3.1. 63 nations are off monitor to satisfy the goal for new child mortality by 2030 and 54 nations are off monitor to satisfy the under-5 mortality goal by 2030.

In response, Somalia has initiated a World Health Assembly decision to focus on gaps and agree on the wants to extend protection of key interventions to avoid wasting lives of pregnant ladies, newborns, and kids. The present draft decision on  Accelerate progress in direction of decreasing maternal, new child and little one mortality to be able to obtain Sustainable Development Goal targets 3.1 and three.2, co-sponsored by Egypt, Ethiopia, Paraguay, Somalia, South Africa and United Republic of Tanzania, was offered for dialogue on the WHO 154^th EB, following 4 rounds of casual consultations.

During the EB assembly, Member States intervened on the content material of the report and the draft determination proposed by Somalia and the co-sponsors. The recorded session is obtainable here.

Overall, Member States expressed widespread assist on the necessity to speed up progress to scale back maternal, new child and little one mortality, together with by means of the implementation of methods corresponding to Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) and Child Survival Action (CSA), multipronged approaches and elevated investments. Several Member States flagged the significance of sexual and reproductive well being and rights in advancing maternal, new child and adolescent well being, together with the necessity to promote complete sexual schooling, entry to reproductive well being providers and household planning, particularly for adolescents. Addressing gender inequalities is essential, necessitating the availability of important providers to ladies and ladies, supporting ladies’s schooling, and stopping gender-based violence. Many nations additionally highlighted the necessity to strengthen healthcare techniques, with a deal with rising entry to medical gear and bettering high quality of providers, enhancing workforce capabilities, significantly midwives and neighborhood well being staff, and shifting in direction of a Primary Health Care strategy. Addressing inequities in entry to MNCH providers, particularly in low- and middle-income nations, and in already humanitarian and fragile settings, was additionally raised.

Sixteen Member States, together with on behalf of the African area (AFRO), Eastern Mediterranean area (EMRO) and eight Nordic and Baltic States, expressed their due to Somalia for his or her management in placing ahead the draft determination and their assist to the decision, to be proposed on the 77^th World Health Assembly in May 2024.

Several PMNCH members in official relations with WHO additionally intervened in the course of the EB to convey their assist for the problems. Full member statements will be accessed right here:

For an outline of which points had been raised in Member State interventions, PMNCH has produced a tracking document.

Further consultations on the draft decision are anticipated to renew in February.