With a critical five-year window remaining to achieve the 2030 global maternal, newborn and child health goals, there is an urgent need to coordinate regional action in Africa, where 70% of preventable maternal deaths and nearly half of all newborn deaths and stillbirths occur.
In early April, PATH brought together key country and regional partners in Johannesburg, South Africa, to align around a shared agenda to accelerate progress for maternal, newborn, and child health across the continent. Representatives from the African Union and Africa CDC, global partners including PMNCH, and technical partners from WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA developed a regional MNCH advocacy action plan based on the recently released maternal mortality, child mortality, and stillbirth estimates. The plan, anchored in country and Africa regional experiences, brings partners together around five priorities:
- Increased investment to match the ambition – A clear call was made for domestic and external financing to reflect the level of ambition needed to reach the EWENE and child health targets.
- Elevating MNCH on political and public agendas – Participants agreed on the importance of increasing and sustaining high-level political will to keep MNCH at the forefront of policy and public discourse.
- Strengthening accountability – A renewed emphasis was placed on the need to hold stakeholders accountable for implementing Africa’s MNCH-related commitments at both national and regional levels.
- Improved data translation for decision-making to better inform action – Participants underscored the need to raise issue salience and influence decisions that impact MNCH outcomes.
- Enhanced coordination and partnerships – The importance of stronger collaboration was emphasized among stakeholders to advance a unified agenda.
The advocacy plan supports the Global MNH advocacy strategy and the Child Survival Action advocacy strategy.
Photo: Regional Convening on Advancing Advocacy for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health participants, Johannesburg, South Africa, 8-11 April 2025. PHOTO: PATH/ Bright Mokome.
