CFYDDI meaningful participation in updating the Global strategy in the context of the post 2015 SDG framework.

CFYDDI part of  the consultation around the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health convened by world Vision, joined the rest of  the Uganda Civil Society Coalition on Maternal Newborn and Child Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), to contribute towards updating the Global Strategy in the context of the post 2015 SDG framework

The overall aim of the consultation was to contribute towards updating the Global strategy in the context of the post 2015 SDG framework.

The specific objectives include.

To review progress on implementation Uganda’s commitment since the 2010 launch of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health by the UN secretary General.

• To identify Key issues of concern and aspiration for improving the health of women, newborns, children and adolescents.
• To generate recommendations for updating the Global Strategy and strengthening the health goal, targets and indicators proposed as part of the sustainable Development Goals.
• The updated Global Strategy for women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s  Health, to be launched in September 2015, is a roadmap for ending all preventable deaths of women, Children, and adolescents by 2030 and improving their overall health and well- being, and build upon the 2010-2015 Global Strategy for Woman’s and Children’s Health launched by the UN Secretary- General.

CFYDDI Programs Director and National Focal Person (NFP) for Global youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS – Uganda (GYCA) the time he interfaced with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon while in Mexico City

As we transition from the MDGs to the SDGs, its imperative to accelerate momentum for women, children and adolescents!

CFYDDI Behaviour Change and Communications advocacy Manager Ms. Prossy makes a point during the Global Strategy consultations

The updated strategy will support the achievement of women’s, Children’s and adolescents’ health related sustainable development Goals (SDGs) and anticipates a more integrated posted- 2015 development framework in which all countries are supported to attain and sustain their health goals, moving beyond reductions in mortality to a vision of healthy life for all through the life- course. The updated Global Strategy is being developed by a wide range of national, regional and global stakeholders under the umbrella of the Every Woman Every Child movement.

Present on these consultations included

Dr. Peter Eriki – ACHEST

Dr. Peter Eriki – ACHEST welcomed participants to the meeting and re-affirmed that the consultation was part of a larger effort to identify partner priorities and shape collaborative efforts, and noted that the consultation will inform a Citizens’ hearing taking place in April.

Prof. Anthony Mbonye – Commissioner Health services at Ministry of Health Uganda

Prof. Anthony Mbonye – Commissioner Health services at Ministry of Health Uganda provided an overview of the state of RMNCAH in Uganda – including progress on the 2011 and 2012 commitment to the Global Strategy and key challenges to improved health outcomes.  He highlighted the role of different partners in supporting the achievement of the RMNCH+A strategy

Robin Gorna, Executive Director, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health flew in from Geneva

Robin Gorna, Executive Director, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health flew in from Geneva was in the country and she expressed gratitude to participate. She further stated that this was her first trip out of Geneva ever since her appointment as Executive Director.

She provided an overview of the roadmap for updating the Global Strategy, including the rationale, key milestones, and governance.  She also gave a link between the updated Global Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals and concluded with an overview of the PMNCH led Global Strategy consultation process while  highlighting the opportunities and entry points for CSOs

Robin Gorna, Executive Director, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health joins the participants for group contributions

Robin Gorna, Executive Director, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health giving her presentation

Participants during the Global Strategy

Some of the power point presentations during the Global Consultation Strategy

The Global Strategy consultation was closed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Resident Representative – Dr. Alemu who was represented by another senior official from WHO.

CFYDDI Programs Director Enoch being helped to put up the organisation banner during the Consultations.

More picture impressions for participants during the Global Consultation

Attached:Global Strategy for women’s and children’s health (1) PMNCH-GS-ConsultationToolkit-final-draft (1)

Youth leaders: prioritise Adolescent health with resources and results.

CFYDDI Behavior Change and Communication Advocacy Manager Ms. Prossy Babirye delivers Her remarks

Youth leaders— 15 strong— gathered at the UNFPA offices in Kampala on monday 23rd March 2015 to share their recommendations on priorities for inclusion in the updated Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. Representatives of a wide range of interests from those of the Uganda Young Positives, to the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda to a teenage mother, the youth largely agreed on a need for the Global Strategy to focus on inclusivity – with a concerted effort to include the most vulnerable.

The Strategy, they stressed needs to fulfill the rights of young people. It needs to ensure access to safe abortion and family planning – with efforts focused on creating demand for family planning services among young people who do not use services because of myths, poor health worker attitude and peer pressure. They called for a cross sectoral approach that aims to provide education both to those that have access to formal education settings and those that do not. They noted the impact a lack of access to economic empowerment has on young people, pointing to the example of girls sometimes exchanging sex for money and goods to meet their basic needs. To illustrate this point, one young woman told a poignant story, describing how she had to leave her home because of violence and became engaged in sex work to be able to survive, only to get pregnant as a teenager with two babies and lose one at the age of two, possibly the result of having been turned away by the health center by unkind workers when the baby was ill.

Equally important to in education and economic empowerment they mused, would also be a purposeful look at improving nutrition, an end to child marriage and access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

The young leaders went further, highlighting a dire need for youth friendly health services and information, emphasising that these must be built on stronger health systems that have: lifesaving commodities available; health centres with adequate equipment; running water and electricity. They called for more health workers that are better trained and motivated.

Chairperson Young People’s Self Coordinating Entiry (YPSCE) Patrick reports back the youth voice to the consultative meeting

Patrick Mwesigye, one of the youth leaders stated ‘once a woman reaches a health facility, she should not die’. The young leaders called for the practical application of policies on comprehensive sexuality education which while some governments make the provision for it, is not effectively implemented. They asked that Comprehensive Sexuality Education include a component on safe motherhood to cater for the young women that might get pregnant and become mothers.

The young leaders rebelled against the notion of empty promises and called for a financial commitment to adolescent health – requesting that governments have a budget line for adolescent health services. In concluding, they called for more investment in building their capacity to hold the governments to account for results and resources.

Update brought to you by

CFYDDI News team lead by Joan