The African Union recognizes the status of Maternal and Child health in Africa is a key indicator of the overall health status of the continent and remains central to human capital development which is critical for equitable and sustainable socio-economic growth and development.
Despite the success in reducing maternal and child mortality in Africa since 1990 by 41% and 33%, respectively, still more than 57% of maternal deaths occur in the continent. In almost all the countries of Africa neonatal mortality (death within the first four weeks after birth) constitutes more than 40 percent of total infant mortality. Although the global under-five mortality rate has fallen by a third since 1990, the highest rates of child mortality continue to be found in Africa, where 1 child in 8 dies before age five — nearly 20 times the average of 1 in 167 for developed regions. An estimated 30 percent of these under-five deaths occur among newborns, and some 60 percent occur within the first year of life.
In this regard, the AU Commission is to convene an International Conference on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Africa. The multi-sectoral and action-oriented conference will provide an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in addressing MNCH issues, highlight prevailing challenges, recommend innovative solutions and forge collective resolve in preparation for the post 2015 development agenda. The conference will witness the launch of an AU laureate award on MNCH by recognizing/celebrating key personalities in Africa, who have made tremendous contribution in lowering maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality.
Objectives:
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Assess progress made on MNCH, sharing experiences (and good practices for adoption/scale-up) and lessons learned from across the continent, identifying the key facilitating factors and barriers, especially those rooted in weak systems across multiple sectors and socio-cultural factors;
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Review programme approaches and tools and recommend innovative solutions to improve the quality of MNCH care in Africa;
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Identify evidence-based solutions and results oriented action to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality in Africa.
The outcome of the Conference will be an Action Plan to scale-up implementation and monitoring of MNCH in Africa. It will be summaries of:
- Shared and Improved knowledge of MNCH with recommendations to improve and scale-up implementation and monitoring of MNCH programmes that will reposition Africa to address challenges in Maternal, Newborn and Child Health;
- Effective approaches and tools for the improvement of MNCH care in Africa. Specific attention would be paid to issues that underpin vulnerability such as the status of women, girl child education and weak rights protection.
- Recognition/celebration of key personalities in Africa in the fore-front of maternal, newborn and child survival - The AUC Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival Laureate Awards that will be formally launched.
Anticipated outcomes
The outcomes of the conference will be placed on the agenda of the Conference of African Union Ministers of Health and other relevant ministerial conferences and taken up via the report of the Ministerial Conferences to the AU Summit. The African Union Commission and development partners, including UNFPA, will work with each AU Member State to follow up implementation of the Action Plan in countries to improve maternal, newborn and child health, poverty reduction and economic growth. The Action Plan will also form part of the key recommendations of the Annual Status of MNCH report (2014) which will be presented to the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government.
