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At the 156th Executive Board (EB) meeting of the World Health Organization, which took place between the 3-11 February 2025, Member States took note of the Director General’s report on the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (EB156/17). The report highlights that countries are off track to reach the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to maternal, newborn and child mortality (SDG 3.1 and 3.2). In particular, it contains the latest data on global mortality and morbidity trends, and provides tools and guidance to accelerate action. These align with the resolution on Accelerating progress towards reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal targets 3.1 and 3.2 adopted at the 77th World Health Assembly in 2024 (WHA77.5).
During the EB meeting Item 14 session on the 7th February 2025, Member States intervened on the content of the report and were invited to reflect on the following two questions:
What actions should be prioritized to address inequalities in sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health?
What support is needed from the Secretariat at all three levels to accelerate progress on the related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals?
In addition, the EB was also invited to consider two draft decisions under Item 14: Incorporation of the World Prematurity Day into the WHO Calendar, to strengthen approaches to prevent preterm births and treat and care for preterm infants (EB 156/CONF./12) and Regulating the digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes (EB 156/CONF./16 Rev. 1).
PMNCH has tracked Member States interventions to provide an overview of which areas were highlighted most during the discussions ( download the full tracking here). The recording of Member States interventions can be found here: Recording of Session 14 (7th February, 18:10-21:10).
Overall, Member States expressed deep concern over the lack of progress in achieving the targets of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health and their commitment to accelerate progress. Several Member States flagged the need to address the profound inequalities in maternal, newborn, child and adolescent mortality and morbidity rates both between and within countries. Specifically, rising conflicts and humanitarian settings were highlighted as a major hindrance to the achievement of progress, as women, children and adolescents are the most affected by war and displacement. Several countries reinstated the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the need to promote comprehensive sexual education, access to reproductive health services and family planning, especially for adolescent girls. The session saw a strong focus on nutrition for pregnant women and children, the importance of promoting breastfeeding and the need to regulate the harmful marketing of breast-milk substitutes. Moreover, delegates reaffirmed the importance of universal health coverage, access to education, gender equality and women empowerment. Many Member States also highlighted the need to strengthen country and sub-national data, tracking and monitoring, access to latest guidelines, best practices, commodities and technology, strengthening healthcare systems and enhancing workforce capabilities, particularly midwives and community health workers, as key areas of focus. Delegates also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring universal health coverage.
Compared to last year’s EB interventions (tracking from 154th EB available here), there were fewer references to abortion, healthcare workforce and more references to the importance of nutrition given the proposed resolution on regulation on digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes. Unfortunately, once again there were no references to the 1.9 million stillbirths that occur every year.
Finally, 13 Member States (including Ethiopia and Somalia who spoke on behalf of the AFRO and EMRO countries, respectively) expressed support to the resolution suggesting the incorporation of the World Prematurity Day into the WHO Calendar, to strengthen approaches to prevent preterm births and treat and care for preterm infants (EB156/CONF./12) and 17 Member States (including Ethiopia and Somalia who spoke on behalf of the AFRO and EMRO countries, respectively) supported the resolution on regulating the digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes (EB156/CONF./16 Rev.1). The EB adopted both draft decisions.
Several PMNCH members in official relations with WHO intervened during the session to express their concern on the lack of progress in the maternal, newborn and child mortality and the need to accelerate action, by scaling up investments, promoting SRHR, increasing health systems strengthening, training healthcare workforces and addressing nutrition and non-communicable diseases. PMNCH members’ full statements can be accessed here:
In preparation to the 78th World Health Assembly, which will take place from the 19-27 May 2025 in Geneva, PMNCH calls its members to increase their advocacy at the national, regional and global level to ensure accountability and acceleration of progress guided by the resolution on Accelerating progress towards reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal targets 3.1 and 3.2 adopted at the 77th World Health Assembly in 2024 (WHA77.5). Through high-level policy dialogues as part of the Ready, Set, Implement series, PMNCH is convening stakeholders to garner their commitment to the implementation of the resolution to accelerate progress and achieve measurable and sustainable outcomes towards reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality at country level and communities in most vulnerable situations.
Links to key documents and statements
Link to key documents:
EB156/17 Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health
Proposed resolutions:
EB156/CONF./12 Incorporation of the World Prematurity Day into the WHO Calendar, to strengthen approaches to prevent preterm births and treat and care for preterm infants
EB156/CONF./16 Rev.1 Regulating the digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes
EB156/CONF./16 Add.1 Financial and administrative implications for the Secretariat of decisions proposed for adoption by the Executive Board
Link to statements:
Link to the video recordings:
Link to the Recording of Session 14 (7th February, 18:10-21:10)