Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Excellencies,
Esteemed partners,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It’s an honour to join you, and I thank the Government of Sierra Leone for convening this event.
We’ve built high momentum to end preventable child deaths across our Member States; this is evident in the Call to Action, and we must acknowledge it.
Statistics paint a stark picture of preventable mortality in our region. Several low-income countries and countries in very complex situations have progressed in child survival.
Acceleration is indeed possible, and there is no alternative than following our commitments to the SDGs, and the AU’s Agenda 2063—ultimately for and about children.
We must do more and better, applying lessons from our region, including:
• High-level political commitment with stakeholder engagement and coordination
• Investments in strengthened health systems, using data and evidence for decision-making
• Focus on equity
• Deploy proven interventions and technologies widely; and
• Improve overall living standards through multisectoral action on determinants of health.
In doing so, let’s be mindful of:
• First, avoiding fragmentation: Child survival needs to be positioned in the context of a comprehensive agenda for the health and well-being of children and adolescents, underpinned by a life-course approach.
• Second, looking beyond “just” survival: Children must survive, thrive, and reach their full potential. Investing in early childhood development (ECD) impacts children’s wellbeing, healthy growth and development, and healthy aging. With the fastest growing, youngest population of any continent, the African region has a unique opportunity to create a more prosperous, sustainable future for the African child.
• Third, collaborating and coordinating across programmes and sectors: Children’s survival, development, and well-being must be a concern for all programmes; therefore, it requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Our work in the WHO African Region on a comprehensive agenda for child and adolescent health and well-being speaks directly to these opportunities.
I look forward to working with our Member States and partners towards new actions for new milestones, building on our success.
Thank you.