.png?sfvrsn=6d0e27cd_1 "Partnership for Change - v7 (1)")
Dear colleagues and partners,
As we close the month of May, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a powerful and thought-provoking few weeks for our community.
We began the month by celebrating two cornerstone professions in global health – midwives and nurses – on the International Day of the Midwife- 5 May and the International Day of the Nurse- 12 May. These days served not only to honour their contributions, but also to remind us of the essential role they play in achieving our collective goals for women's, children's, and adolescents’ health (WCAH).
May also brought with it the World Health Assembly, where we engaged in some of the most honest and necessary conversations yet about the future of global health and development, including the dire need to address the inadequate access to quality sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, particularly for women and girls. We must double down on our commitments to young people for without investment in adolescent SRHR, meaningful adolescent and youth engagement and rights-based approaches, we face stalled progress towards health equity, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and economic and social development.
Despite the many challenges our partners face, the spirit of the Assembly was strikingly hopeful with a shared recognition of the urgent need to rethink and realign our global architecture and operating models. We witnessed renewed commitment to a bold, collective vision for gender equality, and WCAH – a vision that demands alignment, innovation, and a willingness to do things differently. If not now, when?
Discussions throughout the month underscored the importance of national leadership and country-led prioritization, particularly as governments refocus on essential interventions amidst constrained resources. There were important calls for innovation to tackle persistent bottlenecks, especially around commodities and human resources for health.
PMNCH’s Lives in the Balance series continued to drive momentum, with over 1,000 participants joining across two events. The first ,“Doing Better with Less: Rethinking the Approach to Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health,” focused on priority areas and multisectoral approaches towards 2030 targets, and the second, “Future Forward: Advancing Adolescent Data, Measurement and Advocacy Gaps,” drew attention to the need for increased accountability for adolescent health and well-being (AHWB). These convenings brought forward actionable insights and commitments to do better—for everyone, everywhere.
Finally, we saw the tabling of the progress update on the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. During the deliberations, Member States highlighted a multitude of issues including the pressing need for investments in community level care and health workforce to deliver life-saving interventions, the growing need for equitable financing and solutions to support vulnerable women and girls, especially those in humanitarian and conflict settings, and the significant role of multisectoral responses in accelerating progress on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. We also welcomed the passing of two important resolutions, one incorporating World Prematurity Day into the WHO calendar and a second on the regulation of digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes.
Looking towards June, let us translate this excitement into tangible plans and actions. As always, thank you for your continued partnership, your resolve, and your determination to push for a healthier, more equitable future. Let’s carry this momentum forward.