There is a lot of excitement around the CAN-MNCH summit that begins today (If you haven’t been following along here’s a brief summary). The build up for the event has been immense, which is unsurprising considering what Canada and other world leaders have already accomplished (our case study). With headlines like “Canada Improving Lives of Most Vulnerable Mothers, Newborns and Children”, there is an expectation for Canada to once again take the lead in investing in these proven programs. Here is what the experts and policy makers say we, as a global community, need to do to end preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030:
1.) Maintain Momentum: In order to reach their 2030 goal, CAN-MNCH needs to keep global leaders focused on the health of women, newborns and children. CAN-MNCH recognizes that progress has been uneven and there are still women and children that aren’t being reached. This summit aims to focus on how to strengthen strategies so that they can be more effective.
2.) Strengthen accountability: In order to know what works best, CAN-MNCH relies on data from effected regions. Policy makers plan to support more community-based accountability to ensure that the most marginalized women and children have healthcare. This plan includes stepping up local data collection so that the whole network can respond to what is happening in each community.
3.) Include the Private Sector: Corporate Social Responsibility is a program that already aims to include private businesses in MNCH, but the summit thinks it can be improved. However, CAN-MNCH reminds world leaders that these investments need to complement, not replace, the commitments made by the public sector.
4.) Capitalize on Canadian values: This summit is hoping that Canada as a whole will continue to lead the global health community. If CAN-MNCH can harness the support of millions of Canadians, the collective impact can bring the 2030 goals within reach. The even greater hope is that Canada will be a model for what a nation can do when they commit to global health.
