PMNCH messaging resource for the World Health Assembly 76

Overview

The 76th World Health Assembly (#WHA76) opens on Sunday, May 21, 2023. This annual gathering brings together government delegations and other key development stakeholders across the world to agree on priorities and take bold actions to tackle the most pressing issues in the health sector.

In May 2016, the 69th World Health Assembly adopted the resolution to commit to the implementation of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health, which requested the Director General, inter alia, to report bi-annually on progress towards women's, children's and adolescents' health to the Health Assembly. This year also marks the half-way point towards the GlobalStrategy andSustainable DevelopmentGoals.

We are at a critical juncture in the SDG journey. Although progress and achievements have been made, it is insufficient to meet SDG3targets for women, children and adolescents. The combination of COVID-19, conflict, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis are rolling back decades of progress, with far-reaching effects for the most vulnerable. Food insecurity, hunger, child marriage, risks from intimate partner violence, and adolescent mental health issues have all increased as noted in the Protect thePromise– 2022Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030) progress report and this year’s WHA report on implementation of theGlobalStrategy. Accelerateda ction is needed, and the time to act is now.

As the health community meets at WHA, PMNCH – the world's largest alliance of more than 1,400 partners working in women's, children's and adolescents' health – is calling for leaders to urgently prioritize the health and rights of women, children and adolescents.

It’s time to reflect, share, collaborate and act!