Women’s, Newborns’, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health: A Unifying Agenda for Global Progress

18 November 2025 09:00 – 11:00 SAST

Co-hosted by the South African Presidency, the Global Leaders Network, PMNCH, C20, Y20, Women Empower, and the Children’s Sector.

For more than two decades, global efforts have halved child mortality, yet progress has recently slowed. For the first time in decades, maternal and child mortality rates risk reversing - a wake-up call for renewed global commitment. Women’s, Newborns’, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health (WNCAH) must once again be recognized as the moral and strategic foundation for inclusive and sustainable development.

Persistent inequities in WNCAH remain across all income levels. In a world of constrained resources and competing priorities, investment in WNCAH stands out as one of the most cost-effective and unifying pathways to human development, resilience, and prosperity.

This high-level event will be co-hosted by the G20 Presidency, Global Leaders Network (GLN), PMNCH, Civil Society20 (C20), Youth20 (Y20), Women Empower, and the Children’s Sector. The event aims to catalyze the WNCAH community to shape a global declaration, and policy and financial commitment to reduce maternal and child deaths by half in the next 20 years. Anchored in South Africa’s Presidency and its priorities on human capital, economic resilience, and global public goods, this declaration will inspire sustained global action beyond the G20.

The 2025 G20: A Strategic Opportunity for Women’s, Newborns’, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

South Africa stands as a global leader in advancing sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (SRMNCAH)—championing innovation in infectious disease prevention, immunization, nutrition and HPV screening. These efforts have reduced mortality rates, improved life expectancy and national productivity, providing compelling evidence of the returns from investing in health and education.

Given its demonstrated progress and President Ramaphosa’s chairmanship of the Global Leaders Network for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health, South Africa’s G20 Presidency represents an unparalleled opportunity to expand a coalition of countries committed to sustainable investment in WNCAH.

This event, held on the sidelines of the G20 Social Summit in South Africa, provides a unique opportunity to bring together a coalition of diverse actors across the public and private sectors and to reflect on how to improve the health and well-being of the most vulnerable.

Register here

 

Please note: In-person participation requires prior accreditation to the G20 Social Summit.