The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children will meet in New York on 22 May, to ensure increased access to affordable, effective, quality medicines and health supplies for the world’s most vulnerable people.
The Commission is co-chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, and Vice-Chairs are UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin and UNICEF Executive Director, Mr. Tony Lake.
The Commission brings together high-level advocates to catalyse changes in the way overlooked, life-saving commodities are produced, registered, distributed and used. The mandate of the Commission is not to launch new in-depth studies, but rather to synthesize and prioritize existing knowledge and current work to identify and tackle bottlenecks that require immediate and sustained action.
Drawing on the latest data, and with the support of a Technical Working Group, the Commission will work rapidly to identify bold and innovative solutions and priority actions to increase the availability, affordability, accessibility and rational use of selected life-saving commodities. These priority actions, set out in a set of high-level recommendations to be announced later this year, will focus on the needs of countries where the most women, newborns, and children under five die from preventable causes.
Commissioners will use their advocacy platforms to promote action at the global, national and local level to save lives.
More information at www.everywomaneverychild.org
