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Call to action to improve the health of women, children and adolescents worldwide

On 14 September 2015: GENEVA In a special supplement published by The BMJ, public health experts from around the globe highlight the critical actions and investments that will have the greatest impact on the health of women, children and adolescents. Although great strides have been made to reduce child and maternal mortality since 1990, the authors of the 15 papers published in this special supplement, explain how many more lives could and can be saved by improving access to essential health interventions.

The 15 papers, co-authored by WHO, outline the current evidence, identify successes as well as critical gaps in progress, and highlight key priorities to end preventable deaths and build resilient and prosperous societies. They provide evidence that has helped inform the development of a new Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, which will be launched at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 26 September 2015.

Continuing challenges

The 15 papers’ findings underscore how persistent inequalities within and between countries mean that the poorest, most disadvantaged women, children, and adolescents often miss out on life-saving health services and experience serious violations of their human rights.

Low and middle-income countries face significant challenges to improve the health and wellbeing of women, children and adolescents. These include for example: A difference of up to 80% between the richest and poorest people in the proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel; a difference of least 25% in access to antenatal care (of at least four visits) between the most and least educated and between the richest and poorest; and a difference of up to 80% between the richest and poorest people in the proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel.

Dr Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization, states, “No woman, child or adolescent should face a greater risk of preventable death just because of where they live.”

Global efforts

As the deadline for the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals approaches, countries have come together to agree upon a new set of development goals, which will be launched also in New York this month. The survival, health and well-being of women, children and adolescents is at the heart of this agenda, and the new Global Strategy to prevent deaths and improve the health of millions of women, children and adolescents will provide a platform for the achievement of these new goals.

The new Global Strategy builds on new evidence and lessons learnt. It focusses on reaching everyone, in particular critical population groups many of whom live in humanitarian and fragile settings – where a majority of these deaths happen.

Dr Bustreo states further, “We know what needs to be done. With the existing evidence, we now have the opportunity to end preventable deaths among all women, children, and adolescents, to vastly improve their health, and to bring about the transformative changes needed to fully realise their human rights and build resilient and prosperous societies.”