India hosts the 31st PMNCH Board meeting

30 June 2023
Departmental news
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The 31st PMNCH Board meeting took place in New Delhi, India, from June 21-22. This marked the first in-person Board meeting since 2019, when the board convened in Nairobi, Kenya, in conjunction with ICPD@25. 

In her opening remarks, the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, expressed appreciation to the Government of India for hosting the meeting and acknowledged India’s ongoing leadership and support of PMNCH since its inception in 2005.

During her keynote address, Hon. Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development for the Government of India, highlighted India’s rich history as a supporter of PMNCH and extended an open invitation to members, stating, “come back to India anytime you need to heal the world.” The Minister emphasized India’s achievements in maternal and child nutrition, digital technologies and manufacturing amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and shared that these conversations are relevant to the Government of India’s G20 goals reflected on their slogan, "One Earth, One Family, One Future."

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, addressed the board through a video message. He emphasized the significance of women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health and well-being as a key development indicator. Dr. Tedros stressed the need for focused attention on these vulnerable populations, particularly in light of the escalating global threats that exacerbate inequities.

The meeting aimed to agree strategic actions related to  key topics, including the impact of climate change on women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health (WCAH); G20 and G7 engagement to strengthen policy and financing commitment; cross-constituency mobilization for adolescent well-being, including in relation to the planning of the Global Forum for Adolescents; and accelerated implementation of WCAH commitments at country level.

In light of India’s G20 presidency and PMNCH’s collaboration on the G20-related  pre-event “Health of Youth, Health of Nation’, held in New Delhi on June 20, Rajesh Bhushan,  Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, noted that PMNCH is in a unique position  to maximize synergies with the G20 in mainstreaming ideas on the health of women and children into political discussions.

India’s G20 Sherpa, Ambitabh Kant, underlined this point in his address to the PMNCH Board on June 21,“You need growth – inclusive, sustainable, resilient growth. You cannot have growth if you do not focus on children and women. They have to be at the heart of it all.” 

He urged PMNCH to continue to set its sights high, and to stay focused on the economic and social determinants of health, including good nutrition through the life cycle to support healthy and strong communities and economies. He stressed the radical and ambitious action needed for the economic empowerment of women as a vital step to improving gender parity and women’s, children’s and adolescents health in turn. He concluded by noting, "If we are able to improve the health of women, everything else will follow."

Media coverage in India

G20 event

Interview with Helen Clark