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In the face of a seemingly endless onslaught of global issues in recent years, from the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread economic downturn, climate change and geopolitical fall-out of current conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and Africa, the 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) focused its lens on the roots of global cooperation: trust, transparency, consistency and accountability, bringing together public and private sectors, key stakeholders, leaders, and young people for collaboration and to build the foundations for a sustainable future.
Under the Forum’s theme “Rebuilding Trust,” PMNCH and its leaders played a pivotal role at WEF 2024, advocating for the acceleration of WCAH and well-being issues across the key thematic programmes. Davos 2024 also marks the launch of PMNCH’s Business Leadership Guide, whose aim is to mobilize and grow the number of private sector businesses that proactively pledge to support the Agenda for Action for Adolescents. Recognizing that every action counts, a small first step for private sector organizations in acting on this guide is to commit to the 1.8bn Panel Pledge, supporting Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement (MAYE)."
Addressing the gap in women’s health
WEF 2024, hosted the launch of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health and the Women’s Health Investment Case – “Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies.”
As an “opportunity for action” the launch of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, represents a milestone for advocating women’s health and is centered on proof that investing in women’s health is the best investment for societies and economies.
The launch of the investment case in parallel, highlighted the direct economic benefit of addressing women’s unique health needs, leading to an annual economic boost of USD$1 trillion. The report offers recommendations to address women’s health gap and accelerate economic growth, including greater investments; collection of sex-, ethnicity, and gender-specific data; enhance access to gender-specific care; incentivize new financing models; and establish business policies to support women’s health.
In her reflections at the launch event, Rt Hon Helen Clark, lamented the stagnation seen globally on maternal mortality rates and the disproportionate burden on adolescent girls, millions of whom face child marriage, FGM and low school attendance globally. She however noted the power of partnerships, such as PMNCH, as the world’s largest partnership for women’s children’s and adolescent’s health and well-being hosted by WHO, to advocate for action on women’s health on a global level.
Climate and Health Action
On Wednesday 17th January, the WEF Private Strategy Session on Committing to Climate and Health Action provided a unique opportunity to bring together key stakeholders to discuss the value-add of the WEF Climate and Health initiative. Participants highlighted their climate and health priority focus areas, and rallied partners’ interest and commitment to join the newly launched Working Groups, as well as explore potential areas for further collaboration.
The session also considered the effect of climate change on already vulnerable and marginalized people, especially women, children and adolescents and the need to prioritize their needs in order to ensure climate justice.
Threat of antimicrobial resistance and a world without antibiotics
The session “Bad Bugs, No Drugs: Facing a World Without Antibiotic”, held on 16 January, highlighted antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as the third leading cause of death globally, with about 20% of deaths occurring in children under 5 years of age. The session looked to global leaders for their thoughts and guidance on holistic strategies that safeguard human and planetary health and looked to the future of sustainable access, use and innovation of antimicrobials.
Moderating the session, PMNCH Board Chair Rt Hon Helen Clark, acknowledged the staggering $36.8 billion economic losses attributed to AMR annually and noted the less-seen impacts including potential to undo many of the gains in child health and well-being achieved by the global health and development community in recent years. The session fostered important discussion on how global economic policies can continue to embed and accelerate action on urgent health security issues.
G20 focuses on NGOs
With a lens on gender-equality in G20 economies, the “Focus on NGOs” session at WEF 2024 on 16th January provided a platform to discuss the main challenges and opportunities in achieving global gender and diversity equality.
Committed to PMNCH’s agenda to foster meaningful change on gender equality, Rt Hon Helen Clark commended the G20’s commitment and plans to establish a new Working Group on the Empowerment of Women, highlighting the urgent need to address challenges faced by women from marginalized communities and inequalities disproportionately impacting women's economic participation, health care access, and overall well-being.
2024 is set to be a promising year for advocacy to support progress toward the SDGs and 2030 agenda on global gender equality and diversity with the first meeting of the G20’s Women’s Ministerial meeting taking place under the incoming G20 Brazil presidency.
Looking to the future
The 2024 Forum marked the start of an era of change to advocate for the health and well-being on women, children and adolescents, bringing together over 100 governments, all major international organizations, the Forum’s 1000 Partner companies and various experts from around the world. At the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda, achieving the SDG targets will rely on the power of partnership to foster changes in policy, financing and services. PMNCH is committed to accelerate action and investments in favor of the most vulnerable and marginalized women, children and adolescents globally, leaving no one behind.