Global Leaders Unite: Launch of Parliamentary Network of Champions for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health – PMNCH – Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

Report on the Launch of the Parliamentary Network of Champions for Health and Sustainable Development

Introduction

At the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, the Parliamentary Network of Champions was launched. This initiative, supported by the IPU and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), is dedicated to advancing the health, rights, and well-being of women, children, and adolescents. The network’s core mission is to leverage legislative power to translate global commitments into tangible actions, thereby accelerating progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Core Objectives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The Parliamentary Network is founded on four key pillars designed to directly address and advance several SDGs:

1. Advance rights-based legislation: To secure universal access to quality health services, including sexual and reproductive health. This objective directly supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), particularly Target 3.7, and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
2. Champion increased health financing: To promote smarter and more equitable investments in the health of women, children, and adolescents, contributing to SDG 3 and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
3. Strengthen accountability and collaboration: To foster greater cooperation between parliaments and governments to drive results. This aligns with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by enhancing effective and accountable institutions.
4. Place health equity at the heart of legislative agendas: To ensure that legislative actions are explicitly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, with a primary focus on achieving health equity as outlined in SDG 10.

Stakeholder Endorsements and Commitment to the 2030 Agenda

Key global leaders affirmed the network’s importance in achieving the SDGs:

• Hon. Thokozile Didiza, Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa: Highlighted the role of collaboration and accountability in transforming health outcomes and creating a legacy of equity, a central tenet of the 2030 Agenda.
• Hon. El Malick Ndiaye, President of the National Assembly of Senegal: Underscored that the health of women, children, and adolescents is fundamental to human dignity and sustainable progress, stating that no lasting progress is possible if they are excluded from health.
• Mr. Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General: Emphasized that the health of these populations is foundational to development, equality (SDG 5), and human rights, positioning the IPU as a key platform for advancing SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
• Mr. Rajat Khosla, PMNCH Executive Director: Commended the network’s potential to protect vulnerable populations through legislative and budgetary action, directly contributing to the promise of the SDGs that every individual not only survives but thrives.

Strategic Alliance for SDG Acceleration

This Parliamentary Network complements the Global Leaders Network for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (GLN), which is chaired by H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa. The combined force of the GLN (executive leadership) and the new Parliamentary Network (legislative leadership) creates an unprecedented global alliance. This strategic partnership is designed to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific commitment to ending preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths, directly addressing SDG Target 3.1 and SDG Target 3.2.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on a global initiative to improve the health and rights of women, children, and adolescents. The following SDGs are directly addressed:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This is the central theme of the article. The initiative’s mission is “to ensure that every woman, every child, and every adolescent not only survives, but thrives,” directly addressing health outcomes. The text explicitly mentions ending “preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths.”
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The initiative has a strong focus on the “health, rights, and well-being of women… and adolescents.” By championing rights-based legislation for “sexual and reproductive health,” it directly supports the empowerment of women and girls and their right to make decisions about their own bodies.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: A key goal of the Parliamentary Network is to “Place health equity at the heart of legislative agendas.” The article quotes a speaker who emphasizes that progress is impossible if “mothers, daughters, and sons remain excluded from health and hope,” pointing to a commitment to reduce health-related inequalities.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The initiative is fundamentally about strengthening institutions. It is a “Parliamentary Network” that aims to “mobilize legislative power,” “advance bold, rights-based legislation,” and “strengthen accountability and collaboration between parliaments and governments,” all of which are core components of building effective and accountable institutions.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article is entirely about the formation of a partnership. It describes the “Parliamentary Network of Champions” as an “extraordinary coalition” and a “powerful coalition” supported by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH). This collaboration between legislative bodies and global health alliances exemplifies the spirit of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the initiative’s stated goals and actions, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 3.1: Reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. The commitment to “end preventable maternal… deaths” directly aligns with this target.
2. Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. This is explicitly mentioned in the goal to “end preventable… newborn, and child deaths.”
3. Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. The network’s plan to “Advance bold, rights-based legislation to secure universal access to quality health services, including sexual and reproductive health” is a direct reference to this target.
4. Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This target is closely linked to Target 3.7 and is addressed by the same commitment to advance legislation for sexual and reproductive health, which is fundamental to gender equality.
5. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome. The goal to “Place health equity at the heart of legislative agendas” aims to reduce inequalities in health outcomes for women, children, and adolescents.
6. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The network’s objective to “Strengthen accountability and collaboration between parliaments and governments” is a direct effort to make legislative and governmental institutions more effective and accountable in the health sector.
7. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The creation of the “Parliamentary Network” itself, a collaboration between parliaments, the IPU, and PMNCH, is a direct implementation of this target to build multi-stakeholder partnerships.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article, being an announcement of an initiative, does not provide specific quantitative data but implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For Targets 3.1 and 3.2: The key implied indicator is the reduction in the number of “preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths.” Progress would be measured by tracking mortality rates in these groups in countries where the network is active.
• For Targets 3.7 and 5.6: A clear indicator would be the number of countries that pass “bold, rights-based legislation to secure universal access to quality health services, including sexual and reproductive health.” The existence and implementation of such laws would be a primary measure of success.
• For Target 10.3: Progress could be measured by the inclusion of “health equity” principles in legislative agendas and national health policies. An indicator would be the number of new laws or policies that explicitly aim to reduce health disparities among different population groups.
• For Target 16.6: An indicator would be the establishment of formal mechanisms for “accountability and collaboration between parliaments and governments” on health issues. This could include joint committees, regular reporting requirements, and public hearings driven by the network.
• For Target 17.17: The primary indicator is the successful functioning and expansion of the “Parliamentary Network of Champions” itself. Its ability to mobilize parliamentarians and drive collective action serves as a measure of the partnership’s effectiveness.
• Implied Financial Indicator: The goal to “Champion increased, smarter, and more equitable health financing” implies an indicator related to budgetary allocations. Progress could be measured by the increase in national budget percentages dedicated to women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: pmnch.who.int