Addressing birth defects inequities: Prevention, lifesaving and lifelong care

4 March 2024 14:00 – 15:00 CET
Virtual

By WHO and partners

Congenital anomalies cause 10% of all newborn deaths; 6% of all post-neonatal under 5 deaths and 8% of all under 5 deaths. Those who survive are at risk of lifelong disability if they don’t have timely access to high-quality care. The burden of death and disability is disproportionately high in lowand middle-income countries.

Leading organizations and patient advocates discuss:

  • Advancing access
  • Successful advocacy
  • Capacity building strategies

With remarks from Dr. Anshu Banerjee PMNCH, Executive Director ia.

Agenda

Time

Topic

Speaker(s)

8 AM ET/

2PM Geneva

Opening remarks

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO 

 

Dr. Karen Remley, Director, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities,

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

8:10 AM ET/

2.10 PM Geneva

Global burden of birth defects and WHO initiatives

Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director, Department Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO

 

8:25 AM ET/

2.25 PM Geneva

Every Journey Matters: 

Patients as advocates

  • Martha Shiimi,Global ARCH representative

 

  • Toby Bunyan, MiracleFeet representative

 

  • Jackson Doane, Operation Smile representative

8:45 AM ET/

2.45 PM Geneva

Every Journey Matters: 

The role of Civil Society organizations

  • Dr. Salimah Walani, Miracle Feet

 

  • Katie Kraft, Children’s HeartLink

 

  • Dr.Gaurav Deshpande, Operation Smile

 

  • Amy Verstappen, Global ARCH

 

  • Dr. Sylvia Roozen, IF SBH

9:10 AM ET/

3.10 pm Geneva

Q&A

Bistra Zheleva, Children's HealthLink

9:25 AM ET/ 

3.25 PM Geneva

Closing Remarks, highlighting the upcoming WHA77 (May 2024) side event

Bistra Zheleva

Dr. Salimah Walani

 

Registration