A selection of news, resources and opportunities for action and advocacy around women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health

August 2021

Leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean jointly identify opportunities to respond to the PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19

19 July 2021 | Latin America

More than 50 leaders from 15 Latin American countries, all members of the Convergence for Action, the Early Childhood Leaders’ Network, came together on 29 June 2021 to identify ways to respond to the PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19. Leaders were invited to join the growing number of countries who have expressed support for focused action to combat the devastating social and economic effects of COVID-19 on women, children, and adolescents through targeted investments in pro-equity programmes and policies.
Read more ➝ here

Statement from the End Violence community to adopt and implement game-changing policies

23 July 2021 | Online statement

As part of the Together to #ENDviolence campaign, senior leaders from across sectors and continents have developed a prioritized set of policy proposals to end all violence and abuse of children, informed by evidence and research from across the world.
Read the statement, see the policy proposals and endorse the Leaders' Statement ➝ here.

This month, I’m proud to spotlight an exciting campaign from CORE Group, a long-time member of PMNCH's Non-Governmental Organization Constituency, and our partner in the development and implementation of the Lives in the Balance event series.

CORE Group has worked since 1997 to advance the field of community health by convening health professionals to share knowledge, evidence and best practices. To celebrate International Youth Day, CORE Group is launching a digital campaign to highlight the health risks of climate change and the key role of youth in its response. Join the Twitter chat on August 12 at 9AM EDT by using the hashtag #EquitableFuture. PMNCH is proud to participate in this initiative, together with other youth-led organizations such as IYAFP, IFMSA and YOUNGO.

Click here to learn more about CORE Group and get involved with their work, including their Young Professionals Network.

Call for Governments to make a commitment towards the PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19

The PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19 campaign invites national governments around the world to commit to specific and measurable investments, policies, and programmes that prioritize and support women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health within COVID-19 responses; both as part of their national domestic plans, as well as overseas development assistance. The deadline to submit the commitment is 21 August 2021. All submitted commitments will be launched on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021. Every PMNCH member has a role to play in the Call to Action campaign on COVID-19. More information on how to support your government in shaping and implementing commitments can be accessed ➝ here.

This action brief by PMNCH, WHO, UNICEF and UHC2030, summarizes the latest status and trends of key areas related to women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being. It aims to promote coordinated action among global and national partners to recognize and overcome the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, children and adolescents, and to accelerate progress to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Rise, Respond, Recover captures key evidence points presented in May 2021 to the World Health Assembly as well partners' top priorities and activities.

Watch this video highlighting the main points of the brief.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, driving PMNCH partners to regroup and adopt measures to prevent the pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for women, children and adolescents. The PMNCH Annual Report presents highlights of the work done in 2020 to ensure that underserved and vulnerable groups received greater investments, effective policies, and improved services.

Interview with world leaders: Michelle Bachelet and Helen Clark

26 July 2021 | BBC

What does it take to run a country? Kim Chakanetsa from BBC is joined by Michelle Bachelet and Helen Clark, former and current PMNCH Board Chairs respectively, as they talk about their experience as female leaders and how they've smashed many glass ceilings in the global health and human rights sector.

Listen to the episode ➝ here

Understanding modelling approaches for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, and nutrition

Released in July 2021, this report models the health impacts and disruptions to essential health services during COVID-19. It provides additional evidence that reductions in coverage of maternal, newborn, child and reproductive health services during the pandemic cause a greater loss of life than maintaining or scaling up services.

Check out what's happening in the women's, children's and adolescents' health and well-being space and share your events so we can feature them in the PMNCH Events Hub. You can submit your event➝ here.

Stay tuned for more information on PMNCH's Accountability Breakfast in September!

International Youth Day

International Youth Day gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. Meaningful adolescent and youth engagement is at the core of PMNCH’s advocacy efforts, and we are looking forward to continuing engaging with partners who share our commitment to the health and well-being of adolescents and youth.
To learn more about the PMNCH adolescent and youth initiatives, click ➝ here.
To join the PMNCH Adolescents and Youth Constituency, click and sign up ➝ here.

Rise, Respond, Recover: Equity in the Era of COVID-19 and the SDGs

The event was hosted by the Government of Estonia and co-organized by PMNCH, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO and UHC2030. This high-level event took stock of the current status and trends in achieving greater health and rights for women, children, and adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Watch the full event, the impactful poem "Dear World Leaders" by Mumbi Macharia, read the news releases and more ➝ here.

Watch the highlights of the event by clicking on the video -->

Global food systems are failing our children. Misleading marketing promotes unhealthy diets making them more appealing than healthier options. As a result, a staggering 1 in 3 children globally is malnourished and at least 2 in 3 are not receiving the minimum diet they need to grow healthy. Watch this video to learn more about the problem and the solutions proposed by WHO and UNICEF.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s MNCH program team is seeking to hire a midwife for the role of Senior Program Officer. Please see additional details here.

UHC2030 is asking for contributions to a multi-stakeholder review called 'The State of UHC Commitment'. As part of this review, they want to tell the stories of people around the world who have had a positive or negative experience with accessing healthcare including quality of care and costs. Submit your story by August 31, 2021.

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