Publisher/Organizer: The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Publication date: May 2018 Number of pages: 36 Language: En

PMNCH is dedicated to achieving this vision by supporting countries in the implementation of their national plans and by accelerating progress to achieve the targets of the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health and the SDGs. In 2017, our partners identified six areas requiring more focused attention and better aligned multistakeholder action: early childhood development; adolescent health and well-being; quality, equity and dignity in services; sexual and reproductive health and rights; empowerment of women, girls and communities; and humanitarian and fragile settings.

Throughout 2017, PMNCH steadfastly pursued efforts to provide leadership, inspire action and foster collaboration to ensure that women, children and adolescents remain at the heart of the SDG agenda.

I was particularly pleased with the Adolescent and Youth Constituency, which made significant progress in shaping and implementing the PMNCH workplan through mobilization, advocacy and accountability to achieve the Global Strategy's targets. With an equal position on the PMNCH platform, they have stepped up to make their voices heard, marshalling over 80 youth-led organizations working at country, regional and global levels, and growing in number. I was delighted with the prioritization of adolescent health, including the development and launch of a technical adolescent toolkit – Advocating for change for adolescents! The youth movement is rolling out the toolkit in five countries, with plans to scale up to at least five additional countries in 2018. Furthermore, PMNCH has elevated the Adolescent and Youth Constituency platform to better engage with decision-makers at all levels and to hold them accountable for delivering results, particularly with regard to adolescent health and well-being.

The achievements of the Adolescent and Youth Constituency in 2017 are a testament to how PMNCH’s work in countries is crucial, especially given the abundance of irrefutable evidence illustrating the broad economic, health and social benefits of investing in women, children (including newborns) and adolescents.

2017 marked my final year as the Chair of the PMNCH board, and I depart with a great sense of pride knowing that I was a part of a movement that thrives in its selfless commitment to delivering the full continuum of care spanning the sexual and reproductive health needs and rights of women and adolescents, pregnancy care, safe delivery, the first weeks of life and the early years of life. There is no doubt in my mind that the work which PMNCH has set out to do to improve the lives of women, children and adolescents will see the emergence of a different and just world – a world in which every woman, child and adolescent in every setting realizes their rights to physical and mental health and well-being, has social and economic opportunities, and is able to participate fully in shaping prosperous and sustainable societies. I hope you will find the achievements highlighted in this 2017 Annual Report as encouraging as I have and as impactful steps forward in making our aspirations a reality.