Protect the Promise: Equal Access and Opportunity for Every Woman, Child and Adolescent

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When it comes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promises, as well as progress have abounded. But halfway to the finish line, the possibility of achieving the SDGs for the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents is under severe threat. The global pandemic, compounded by crises due to climate change and conflict, are all creating barriers to services and support proven to help people, communities and countries thrive.

In 2015, alongside the SDGs, the UN Secretary-General launched the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030). The Global Strategy presented a bold roadmap for ending all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, by 2030. The Strategy strives to keep women, children and adolescents at the heart of the sustainable development agenda, particularly important in the face of competing priorities.

The 2022 progress report on the Global Strategy presents evidence on worrisome trends in the health of women, children and adolescents - where advancements on the relevant SDGs (1,2,3,5) has slowed, and in some cases has regressed, as predicted. Panelists will discuss the causes for the disruptions to service, with a call for true political will to protect the promise for all to have access and opportunity to not only survive, but thrive.