Health and the next global development agenda
PMNCH position
Join the call to prioritize women’s and children’s health in the post-2015 development framework
17 APRIL 2013 | GENEVA — The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health is making the case that health, particularly that of women and children, play a central role in the global development framework beyond 2015, the target date for the Millennium Development Goals. PMNCH members are invited to sign onto a statement summarizing this position that will be submitted to the United Nations High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda reporting to the UN Secretary-General in May 2013.
Sign the summary statement
Background
Following a consultative process with its membership, PMNCH submitted a position paper on women’s and children’s health in the post-2015 development agenda to the United Nations global thematic consultation in January 2013. This paper positions health as a key development priority and recommends the adoption of a rights and population based, equity focused, gender sensitive, participatory and cross-sectoral approach to health.
Building on the lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals, the paper recommends key principles that should guide objectives in the post-2015 framework such as: universality; rigor and flexibility; measuring resources and results; taking into account equity and social dimensions; honoring existing agreements on metrics; including a multi-stakeholder accountability mechanism; and a continued focus on the unfinished MDG agenda.
The paper proposes “healthy life expectancy” as an overarching goal and outlines a set of targets that focus on: ending preventable deaths and morbidity amongst women and children, affordable access to health care and protection against catastrophic health events, accountability, and girls’ education.
Following the release of the first draft report of the UN global thematic consultation on health in the post-2015 agenda, PMNCH submitted its comments. At this time, the executive summaries of the original PMNCH position paper were also adapted for the non-health thematic groups. Versions of the executive summary of the PMNCH position paper submitted to each thematic group are available below.