Commitment to Global Strategy on Women and Children’s Health
The World YWCA General Secretary, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, gave a speech at the “Every Woman Every Child” Plenary Event held on September 20, 2011 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. "Every Woman Every Child" is an unprecedented global effort led by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which aims to mobilise and intensify global action to improve the health of women and children around the world. The initiative works with leaders from governments, multilateral organisations, the private sector and civil society to save the lives of 16 million women and children and improve the lives of millions more.
“Each day, our hearts bleed as we bury our mothers who die while giving birth; knowing this loss could have been prevented, understanding that this single death has multiple negative effects on our families, our communities, our economies and our social fabric. We find it unacceptable that in today’s world our children are unable to celebrate their first birthday in many parts of the world,” said Gumbonzvanda.
According to the Thematic Report The Global Campaign for the Health Millennium Development Goals 2011, “the women and children in low- and middle-income countries suffer shortfalls in health care and face a high risk of mortality across a continuum that begins in women’s adolescence and stretches into the early years of their children’s lives. At every stage in the continuum, the needs are stark. Only about 50% of women in low-income countries complete the recommended series of four antenatal care visits with a doctor or nurse to detect risk factors and manage problems.”
Ms Gumbonzvanda announced that the World YWCA was mobilising its efforts through a wide range of actions including through advocacy, programmes, services and financial investments.
At the end of her presentation, Ms. Gumbonzvanda stressed that “today can only have real meaning if we turn each commitment and each pledge into doable actions; with urgency, with passion, with efficiency and with accountability. This is possible and achievable if we focus on some tangible goals such as: investment in health workers; immunisation of our children; register vital events, provide family planning and sexuality education, reproductive health services, empower women and girls, and invest in young people. “
