People
0

Global Maternal Newborn Health Confab in Mexico City

Global Maternal Newborn Health Confab in Mexico City
Global Maternal Newborn Health Confab in Mexico City

More than 1,000 policymakers, researchers, practitioners and advocates from 75 countries gathered on Tuesday in Mexico City for the first Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference.

The meeting marks the first opportunity for maternal and newborn health communities to strategize actions needed to achieve the targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, which were launched at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

“Investing in the health and well-being of women and children is one of the smartest things countries can do. It enables them to take advantage of economic opportunities and achieve long-lasting benefits for their families, communities and nations,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“We now have the chance to achieve a grand convergence in health—a world where, within a generation, women and children all have the same access to health care and an equal opportunity to survive and thrive, regardless of where they give birth or are born,” said Ariel Pablos-Méndez, assistant administrator for global health at the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Globally, more women survive pregnancy and childbirth—and more children survive their early years—than ever before. Still, each day, 800 women and 7,400 newborns die from preventable complications related to pregnancy, childbirth and other causes. An additional 7,300 women experience a stillbirth, unicef.org reports.

The conference will discuss strategies for reaching every woman and newborn with high-quality health care and approaches to ending preventable maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths.

Financialtribune.com